Washington girls walked off; now voters decide who races

At Camas High on Sept. 15, Charlie Garrett and Sierra Retzlaff staged their protest at the starting line; Garrett recalled, “Once the gun went off, me and my teammate walked about five meters and then stepped off the course.” Brandi Kruse reports that the two cross-country runners are 16². They had written "Keep Women in Women Sports" on their arms and legs before the start¹.

Garrett says the Camas runner began the season on the boys’ team and sought entry into girls’ races a week laterGarrett says the Camas runner started the season “as a biological male” and a week later decided to enter girls’ races. Retzlaff says that runner placed seventh in the girls' race and, going by time, would have placed about 60th against the boys¹. OutKick reports that Washington Interscholastic Activities Association rules permit that midseason switch. Garrett says she walked off to show how this affects the girls in her district, and that she holds no hate toward the athlete³.

“Once the gun went off, me and my teammate walked about five meters and then stepped off the course.”

Now voters get to answer. Initiative 638 is on the Nov. 3 ballot and would ban biological boys from competing against girls in K-12 sports, OutKick reports. Let's Go Washington, the group behind I-638, released poll numbers. OutKick reports that 56% of the 7,500 likely Washington voters surveyed would vote yes on the measure. Another 24% said no, and 22% were undecided. The poll showed support among 73% of Republican respondents and 48% of Democratic respondents. Among independents, it was 52%. OutKick notes it was not an independent poll and that its full methodology has not been disclosed; the point is that a measure protecting girls' sports leads in Washington at all⁴.

OutKick reports that 27 states have laws keeping boys out of girls' K-12 sports, all won by Donald Trump in 2024, and that none was enacted by voters⁴. Washington would be the first state where the public itself passes one, and a Democratic-leaning electorate would be the one doing it³.

The text of I-638 is plain: school district boards and nonprofit bodies like the Washington interscholastic activities association must adopt rules that bar biologically male students from competing with and against female students in female-only athletics. A student who enters female-only competition must submit a form from a personal health care provider, as part of the routine sports physical, verifying biological sex. The provider may rely only on reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, or normal endogenously produced testosterone levels. The initiative permits schools to provide separate teams for each sex⁵.

The adults who spoke up got a different answer than the girls did. Sierra's father, Joel Retzlaff, and his wife brought two signs to the Sept. 15 meet; one read that it will never be OK for an XY to steal an opportunity from an XX. When Camas athletic director Stephen Baranowski asked him to leave over the WIAA's no-signage rule, he agreed to take the signs down. After Sierra's race he held up a sign and chanted "Keep boys out of girls sports!" and later drove past the venue honking his horn. The result was a criminal trespass notice that keeps him off Camas school district properties for a year³.

Sierra says she has had support but also friends who started ignoring her. Her father puts the question to the officials and critics: "I would beg to ask them where all the adults are that know the difference between a boy and a girl and why they're letting this happen³." Every parent weighing whether to speak up for a daughter now knows what a district can do in response.

The district's case is safety. Camas superintendent John Anzalone insists the notice was not an emotional reaction; he was told Retzlaff drove through a construction-tape barrier, and that the notice was in the interest of safety³. Retzlaff called that perspective "valid." A year's ban from every district property for signs and a chant is the district's chosen remedy.

Opponents of I-638 warn it could lead to "invasive genital inspections" starting in kindergarten. OutKick answers that the initiative contains no language on such inspections, and that XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey notes none of the 27 states with such laws perform the exams⁴. The measure's text requires healthcare providers to verify a student's biological sex to determine eligibility, which is a paperwork rule, not an inspection regime^{1, 5}.

Student-athlete Frances Staudt says a win would carry beyond the state: "If we can show that a state like Washington has enough common sense to stand up for the girls and women, then any other state can do so as well." Let's Go Washington's Hallie Herzberg says it is "not a shoo-in by any means" and that there is "still a ton of work that needs to be done⁴." Sierra Retzlaff has said how she will vote: "I hope that people vote for what's right¹." Washington parents, check your ballot and vote on I-638 by Nov. 3.

Sources

1. Skyview girls share the reason for their decision not to compete against biological male
2. @BrandiKruse on X, 2026-10-08: Sierra and Charlie are breaking their silence. The 16-year-old cross-country runners chose to WALK OFF the starting line rather than race a biological boy from Camas, Washington. https://x.com/BrandiKruse/status/2107987827401400811/video/1, 2026-10-08
3. Dad banned from school grounds after protesting trans runner competing against his daughter | OutKick
4. New poll shows Washington state voters are ready to end boys competing in girls' sports | OutKick
5. Initiative IL26-638 — Washington State Legislature