What does a mom, coach and PTA member have to say about I-638?
Jennifer Estroff is a PTA board member, youth coach, Sunday school teacher, and lives with her family in Puyallup, Washington.
I’m a mom, coach and PTA member and I oppose I-638
As a parent, Sunday school teacher, PTA board member, and youth soccer coach, it’s important to me that voters in Washington get the facts about an initiative on our ballots this November that would be harmful to children.
Initiative backers are pushing a false narrative that I-638 is about keeping girls safe in sports. In reality, the initiative’s wealthy and out-of-touch sponsors are driving a reckless agenda that would do the opposite: put all girls at risk and push them out of sports. Under I-638, all girls, not just trans girls, would be subject to medically-unnecessary, invasive genital exams, or expensive genetic testing before they would be allowed to play any sport in elementary, middle, or high school. It’s the most extreme measure of its kind in the country, and violates basic safety and privacy for girls who just want to play sports with their friends.
I-638 is highly discriminatory in that it only applies to girls and not boys. Students seeking to play boys’ sports would face no comparable requirement. As a mom to two boys and a youth soccer coach for a co-ed team, the very idea that children who want to play sports would be treated differently based on their sex is infuriating. If supporters of this initiative were genuinely interested in making sure sports are fair for girls, there’s plenty of work to be done to break down barriers facing girls so they have the same opportunity as boys to benefit from the social and emotional skills, confidence, and physical health benefits of playing sports.
I-638 would subject girls to embarrassment, mental and physical trauma from invasive inspections of their private parts. That’s one reason why organizations across the state that advocate for victims of child sexual abuse and assault, are strongly opposed to I-638. Talk to the girls and women in your lives, and you’ll quickly find out that this requirement would discourage girls from signing up to play sports at all.
An estimated 150,000 school age girls in Washington do not have access to a regular family doctor and would have to be genitally inspected by a stranger or find a way to pay for genetic exams and testing. Insurance won't cover it because it’s not medically-necessary. Girls may have to be sex inspected by a stranger as frequently as every year just to play on an after-school team. As an active member of my local PTA, I traveled to the Washington State Parent Teacher Association (WSPTA) annual convention this year and learned how dedicated the organization is to protecting all our Washington State kids. The WSPTA board voted to oppose I-638. The WSPTA is committed to ensuring every child can be themselves, feel safe at school, have their privacy protected, and be free from abuse, as well as guaranteeing equitable access to supportive school environments and programs. In their explanation for opposing I-638, the organization outlined a long list of ways this initiative violates those goals.
The initiative is so poorly written that many health care providers believe it’s not even possible to implement. That’s why more than 100 family doctors and other providers recently released a statement in opposition to this initiative. Dr. Madie Gore, a family physician, said “all major organizations, including the AAFP, the AAP and the USPSTF, do not recommend genital exams for girls as a part of sports physicals. Many encourage a focus specifically on cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and neurologic health. From a medical, safety and developmental perspective, I-638 is unnecessary, not backed by clinical guidelines, and would create unwarranted stress and harm for young girls.” At a time when so many families are struggling financially due to the ongoing rise in the cost of gas and groceries, healthcare and housing, this initiative would make even extracurricular activities like sports more expensive for thousands of families.
I-638 is a wolf in sheep's clothing. It’s not about protecting girls, it’s about distracting voters from the real issues Washingtonians and parents like me are worried about. I-638 increases risks of harm, exclusion, and discrimination for children across our state. That’s why I’m with the WA State Nurses Association, 100 doctors and other health care providers, the WA State Parent Teacher Association, League of Women Voters of WA, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, and more than 400 community groups and elected leaders who strongly oppose I-638.
