New campaign blasts ‘Let’s Go Washington’ initiatives as ‘anti-trans’

The campaign against two controversial initiatives from conservative political group Let’s Go Washington is heating up.

Washington Families for Freedom held a news conference Thursday outside Franklin High School in Seattle to warn of “safety concerns” surrounding the proposals.

The group is composed of teachers, students, parents and concerned residents working to push back against the pair of 2026 ballot initiatives – which they’ve condemned as being damaging and “anti-trans.”

Let’s Go Washington has been working to gather signatures on the initiatives to the Legislature. One focuses on parental rights in education and the other would ban transgender athletes (LGW uses the term “biologically male”) from competing in girls’ sports.

Washington Families for Freedom has said the measures would put kids at risk of being exposed to possible abuse, forced outing and genital exams.

Small business owner Claire Michelle, a member of the trans community, said at Thursday’s news conference that she came out to her parents in 2014. They then turned their backs on her and ordered her to vacate the home within 24 hours, she said.

Michelle said more LGBTQ+ kids are coming out today than ever because they have loving, safe families, but that some do not have that.

“They know that being out to their parents means that they could be kicked out of their home – just like I was – and these kids deserve to feel safe and protected, too,” she said. “That is why I urge everyone to vote no: Vote no on these harmful initiatives, and keep Washington kids safe.”

Elizabeth Wareing, a police detective and mom of two girls, said at the news conference Thursday that girl athletes who don’t have documentation of their gender would be forced to prove their sex, including by having to show their genitals to an adult.

Let’s Go Washington founder Brian Heywood called Washington Families for Freedom’s representation of the initiatives “dishonest.” He said in an emailed statement that students are already required under current law to receive a physical exam to be eligible to participate in sports.

The initiative states that female student athletes must provide documentation from their health care provider verifying their biological sex based on the student’s genetic makeup, reproductive anatomy or naturally produced levels of testosterone.

If certified, the initiatives would be sent to state lawmakers at the start of next session.

The Legislature can then accept such an initiative as proposed, ensuring it becomes law. Lawmakers can also refuse to act or reject the initiative, after which it would be put before voters in the next general election. Or they can green-light an initiative alternative; if that happens, both the original and alternative would appear on the ballot in the November general election.

Let’s Go Washington has defended the initiatives as necessary to enshrine parents’ right to be the main stakeholders in their kids’ upbringing, and to protect fairness in the arena of girls sports. One proposal would effectively undo House Bill 1296, which Democratic lawmakers said was necessary to adopt last session to better align a prior successful LGW initiative, dubbed the Parents’ Bill of Rights, with state and federal law.

IL26-001, in reviving the past LGW initiative, would spell out certain rights that guardians and parents of public school students have, including related to student records. For example, it would reinstate parents’ rights to their child’s school-based medical records, which was removed via HB 1296.

IL26-638 would require school policies barring “biologically male students from competing with and against female students in athletic activities with separate classifications for male and female students,” such as if the activity is meant for female students alone.

Hallie Herzberg, LGW’s communications director, said Thursday that IL26-001 has received about 255,000 signatures while IL26-638 had 278,000. She noted that those figures don’t reflect signatures turned in within the past week or a gathering event held last weekend. Such numbers will be available Saturday.

Let’s Go Washington told McClatchy in September that some of its signature-gatherers have recently been subjected to threats and harassment, with certain incidents ending in arrest.

The group will need to gather 308,911 signatures per initiative by the Jan. 2 deadline, although it’s recommended to log at least 386,000 signatures in the event that some aren’t valid. Let’s Go Washington in 2025 has raised more than $7.3 million, including starting balance, contributions and loans, according to the Public Disclosure Commission website.

Contributions, totaling over $2.66 million, included multiple in-kind contributions from Project 42, a nonprofit that describes itself as working to “change the course of Washington state to prioritize free markets, personal liberty and an individual’s right to prosper” through building a “durable conservative infrastructure.” One $100,000 contribution came from Kemper Holdings LLC, the company of Kemper Freeman, a Bellevue property developer.

Current loans, all of which were lent by Heywood, totaled nearly $4.66 million, according to the PDC’s website.

Washington Families for Freedom, meanwhile, has raised more than $235,400, including $50,000 in contributions from the Washington Education Association teachers union and the ACLU of Washington, per the PDC.

Heywood called it “shocking” that the teachers union is backing the group.

“Maybe we should focus on the fact that teacher’s money is being spent to keep secrets from parents – that doesn’t say ‘freedom’ or ‘family’ to us,” he continued via email.