NO HATE IN WA STATE: VOTE NO ON I-001 AND I-638

Children’s Alliance has officially endorsed the No Hate in WA State campaign.  

School should be a place where kids and teens feel safe, where they can participate in activities they enjoy and build trusted relationships with peers and adults around them. Initiatives 001 and 638 do not advance this vision. These two poorly written initiatives would remove protections and actively endanger young people who are most in need of support. 

Image courtesy of the No Hate in WA State campaign.

I-001 could endanger victims of child abuse and LGBTQ+ youth by forcing schools to release sensitive information about students.   

While most parents and caregivers provide their kids with love and support, not all children in Washington have a safe home environment. In some cases, I-001 would require schools to hand over sensitive information, including private social work and school counseling records, to abusers, jeopardizing children’s safety. Furthermore, I-001 would require teachers and school counselors to "out" LGBTQ+ kids to abusive families, putting them at risk of harm or homelessness. 

Our state is already facing a youth behavioral health crisis. If I-001 passes, this could worsen as many kids will choose not to seek help from trusted adults at school if they know the information they share is not confidential. 

I-638 could put girls at greater risk of harm by requiring invasive genital exams to play sports.   

Participating in sports helps kids stay active, gain confidence, and develop teamwork and leadership skills. I-638 would discourage many girls from playing sports by subjecting them to medical sex certification, likely requiring invasive genital exams – from which boys are completely exempt. 

This discriminatory, anti-trans, MAGA-backed initiative puts all girls at risk in order to exclude trans girls, a tiny minority of students, from playing sports with their peers. 

We encourage you to vote NO on I-001 and I-638 this November!