Can someone explain to me how my state got everything else right for the most part but went stupid for this one?

Literally, let’s inspect little girls privates, but not boys, because 10 trans students exist and MIGHT want to play sports with their friends? Jesus.

It was also kind of disgusting that literally all our state initiatives were funded by a 1%-er, Brian Heywood and his Let’s Go Washingtion PAC.

  • savvie@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    53
    ·
    2 days ago

    The measure says students in elementary, middle and high school who want to join girls’ athletics must first submit statements from their healthcare providers verifying their “biological sex”. Opponents have raised alarms the measure may force girls to endure “invasive and extreme” genital exams to participate in school sports.

    • jve@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      2 days ago

      What the fuck.

      And specifically targeting girls. How the fuck does something like this even get on the ballot?

      • CorrectAlias@piefed.blahaj.zone
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        16
        ·
        2 days ago

        Brian Heywood, a republican millionaire who moved to WA from California to “escape liberals”, has been abusing the ballot initiative system here using his wealth for years. He (and his PAC “Let’s Go Washington”) purposefully makes them misleading or otherwise confusing to understand in order to get them passed.

        A silver lining is that most of his initiatives haven’t passed (such as the initiative to repeal the millionaire tax), and those few that have over the years have been gutted, heavily modified, or found to be unconstitutional in the state supreme court. The supreme court here just became even more left leaning, and since the way he wrote the initiative makes it only apply to girls, it’s likely to be thrown out.

      • Malica@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        1 day ago

        Thankfully it’s got a good shot at being ruled unconstitutional, assuming the supreme court doesn’t fuck that up too.

    • NekoKoneko@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      2 days ago

      The measure “may” force girls to endure invasive and extreme genital exams? I’m pretty sure having one’s genitals examined, especially when a minor, is invasive and extreme.

    • undrwater@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      2 days ago

      I wonder if they’re required to satisfy the federal standard for sex identification. That would require more than a genital exam. It would require capturing a zygote.

      Pretty invasive.

      • Carl@anarchist.nexus
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        edit-2
        2 days ago

        It would require capturing a zygote.

        Did you mean capturing a gamete? As in, a viable sperm cell or egg? Which proves that the individual is biologically capable of producing those gametes, which means they are capable of producing viable offspring?

        Because capturing a zygote (a viable egg that has been successfully fertilized by a viable sperm cell, but hasn’t yet implanted itself on the uterine wall to become an embryo) would require a woman to have a fertilized egg. And I feel like requiring impregnation just to confirm sex is a little… Impractical?

        It would mean positively identifying males would be impossible, because they’re not capable of carrying a zygote at all. That that’s before we even get into the whole “in order to confirm an elementary school girl is biologically female so she can compete, the doctor would first need to impregnate her to create a zygote” thing.

    • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      2 days ago

      Will I don’t support the ban. This seems a little over the top. Invasive and extreme? Any kid getiing regual exams yearly by their doctor get a genital check. That is enough I am sure. Where it gets complicated is with the poor, who can’t afford to have a regular pediatrician. But sadly they usually can’t afford to play school sports often. So there are a ton of problems with all this, like a ton. But I don’t think there are going to be any invasive and extreme exams as a result. With all the real problems this creates, can’t we just stick to those?

      • Malica@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        1 day ago

        My kid didn’t, I was told vaginal exams only start when they become sexually active.

        • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 day ago

          Vaginal exam is more than is needed to confirm boy vs girl. The docs always just lifted the underwear and looked for any sign of abnormalities that might need treatment. No poking or touching even needed.

      • WatermelonPaloma@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        1 day ago

        I don’t remember getting my genitals looked at in regular exams when I was young. Regardless of that, these are NOT health exams–they are to inspect the genitals of the child. That is extreme as fuck. These genital inspections are discriminatory, as boys do not have to submit to them. How anyone could accept this, let alone vote for it, is absolutely insane.

        • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          1 day ago

          They aren’t requiring a specific exam. They are just requiring a doctor to sign off that they are biologically a boy or girl. This basically come down to lifting the underwear and looking down, which is what is normally done at an early are to check for abnormalities that may need to be addressed. No touching even need to take place. At a very young age, like pre 1 or so, they do a bit more detailed checking for issues. So if you have the same doc, they could sign off based on that alone.