Seattle’s Gender Justice League helping lead pushback against Washington anti-trans initiatives

By Domenic Strazzabosco

A leading advocate for transgender rights, and organizers behind Capitol Hill’s annual Trans Pride celebrations, the Gender Justice League is working across the state to help push back on two Washington initiatives headed for the November ballot.

“It’s unique in that it’s a trans organization and trans people funding a campaign to defend ourselves,”  Gender Justice League’s Danni Askini told CHS earlier this year about its efforts to donate thousands of dollars and help raise awareness about the damage the initiatives could carry.

“Trans people have not been in this political fight, in terms of being able to come up with the money and the staff support and the time to defend ourselves against these attacks,” Askini said. “I think it is an important sign of the strength and health of the trans community in Washington state.”

Askini has taken on a new role beyond Capitol Hill, Seattle, and King County to help, serving as co-chair of Washington Families for Freedom, a statewide group formed to oppose the initiatives.

The Gender Justice League says it has already put $100,000 toward the effort.

At the center of the debate are two initiatives powered by the conservative Let’s Go Washington organization that has been aggressively collecting signatures for the fall ballot.

IL26-001 “Strengthen Communication Between Parents And Schools” would repeal changes to a 2024 bill on parental rights and IL26-638 “Protecting Fairness In Girls’ Sports” would block transgender participants from youth sports, restricting “biological males from participating in sports designated for female athletes,” Let’s Go Washington says.

The organization has handed over the 400,000 signatures required to get the initiatives on the ballot. The legislature and state Democrats aren’t expected to take up the matters before the end of this year’s session on March 12th putting both initiatives on track to go before voters in November.

Askini says the initiatives are dangerous for kids and the consequences of this kind of legislation of youth sports will be damaging.

“It’s a genital exam bill is how I think of it. It’s very concerning for a lot of different reasons,” Askini said.

Askini, Washington Families for Freedom, and backers like Pro-Choice Washington, the Greater Seattle Business Association, and the ACLU of Washington have a significant political fight on their hands.

The Let’s Go Washington political action committee was founded in 2022 and is largely financed by hedge fund founder Brian Heywood. It now operates in Kirkland. Heywood moved to Washington in 2010, seeking a state with no income tax, and has entrenched himself in statewide politics in recent years.

“I think it’s important to know the landscape,” Askini said, explaining the efforts Washington Families for Freedom is taking on attempting to defeat the initiatives. “I think the background here is that he’s cynically trying to turn people out for the midterm elections. His primary motivation here has nothing to do with protecting girls.”

Askini said that Washington Families for Freedom has been busy field organizing and speaking to voters about why they shouldn’t support the initiatives, conducting polling and research and hiring a campaign manager.

With just months to go before the November vote, that means efforts to educate voters are in full swing.

“We’re not going to take these attacks and bullying by Brian Heywood lying down. We’re going to fight as hard as we possibly can,” Askini said.

Learn more at nohateinwastate.org.

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