Opponents of allowing transgender athletes in female sports are launching a national strategy centered on voter-backed ballot measures in blue and purple states.
Speaking on "The Riley Gaines Show," former gymnastics champion and XX-XY Athletics CEO Jennifer Sey revealed grassroots organizers have successfully qualified a biological sex-protection measure for the November ballot in Colorado.
"Here in, I mean deep blue Colorado — [it] is not a purple state anymore, as you know, it is blue — we got the signatures we needed to put this to the people in November," Sey said, noting the campaign gathered 25% more signatures than required.
"We're not done yet because now we need people to vote for it," she added. "The next wave is ballot initiatives in these blue and purple states."
Ballot Initiative 109 would require students to compete on sports teams based on their sex assigned at birth. The measure would apply to both high school and college athletes. Critics argue it would restrict transgender students from participating on teams that align with their gender identity.
Sey said they’ve been able to get the measure on the ballot with little money, noting it’s a grassroots organization. She added that another blue state, Washington, is advancing a similar initiative to restrict transgender athletes from joining female sports teams.
"We didn't have a lot of money. We didn't really have any money here in Colorado, but we had an amazing grassroots organization, and we went out and got the signatures," she said.
Still, Sey noted that a change in culture could be just as impactful as a change in the law.
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"I personally feel like we have to really change the cultural conversation and make this something that no state would dare do, no league would dare do, because the people wouldn't tolerate it," Sey said.
She said that while there is an executive order in place, signed by President Donald Trump last year, she believes there needs to be more concrete legislation in case future administrations look to undo it.
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"I think we need state-by-state legislation. I think we need national legislation," Sey said.
"We have an executive order, but that's temporary. It functions like law while we have President Trump in office, but you and I both know that could change and lots of states are ignoring it," she added.
Trump signed the "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order in February 2025, which prohibits transgender female athletes from competing in female sports. It also requires athletes to compete on teams or in competitions based on their sex assigned at birth.
"Under the Trump administration, we will defend the proud tradition of female athletes, and we will not allow men to beat up, injure, and cheat our women and our girls. From now on, women's sports will be only for women," Trump said at the signing.
