How Trans People in Washington State Fought off Bigots — Two Years in a Row

by Jeremiah Allen and Seth Kirby

Co-author Seth Kirby speaking at a rally, February 2017. Photo credit: Washington Won’t Discriminate

For the last two years, the trans community in Washington state has fended off threats to the law that protects transgender people from discrimination in public spaces, including bathrooms and locker rooms.

The stakes were high: if this year’s anti-transgender measure, I-1552, had been on the November 2017 ballot, Washington would have become the first state to put a repeal of non-discrimination protections up for a public vote.

75 percent of Washington voters say they don’t know someone who is transgender.

The ballot initiatives were spearheaded by a group calling itself “Just Want Privacy,” which relied on fearmongering to try and sway voters to their side, claiming that Washington’s non-discrimination law poses a threat to the public. They focused on scrutinizing which facilities transgender children were using in school, scaring voters with unrelated horror stories about sex offenders, and even the story of a woman who fought off an attacker in a park bathroom.

Those of us who know transgender people know that these myths have nothing to do with our real lives, but these scare tactics can still threaten trans people by increasing bullying, harassment, social exclusion and violence.

And despite Washington’s reputation for being a progressive state, about 75 percent of Washington voters say they don’t know someone who is transgender. Sadly, it’s easy to be frightened by someone you’ve never met, and convincing voters here to reject anti-transgender ballot initiatives was not an easy task.

We are so proud of Washington for saying no to these lies a second time by refusing to give I-1552 the 260,000 signatures it needed to get on the fall 2017 ballot. We won by closely collaborating across three distinct campaigns.

The crowd at a rally against I-1515, the proposed 2016 anti-transgender ballot measure, in May 2016. Photo credit: Washington Won’t Discriminate

Washington Won’t Discriminate

Washington Won’t Discriminate, our trans-led coalition of more than 500 LGBT groups, children’s advocacy organizations, businesses, labor unions, faith leaders, and many others, focused on defeating I-1552. We ran a vibrant “Decline to Sign” campaign, collecting more than 50,000 pledges from Washington voters. Our No campaign raised nearly $300,000 of in-kind and financial support from thousands of people, groups and businesses. Together, we recruited more than 100,000 activists and volunteers ready to oppose I-1552 if it had made it to the ballot.

Ultimately, law enforcement, sexual assault prevention groups, and YWCAs stood with us and opposed I-1552 because it was unnecessary, unenforceable, and harmful. Even former Washington State Republican Chair Chris Vance urged voters to not sign I-1552, saying, “We need laws that protect the rights, safety, privacy, and dignity of all citizens, including transgender people.”

Washington Safe Alliance

Alongside Washington Won’t Discriminate, , our statewide coalition of local chapters, worked tirelessly to engage grassroots groups and leaders, hosting regional town halls and grassroots decline to sign efforts, resulting in unexpected shows of support, like the resolution from the , 100 miles north of Seattle.

A public education graphic by Transform Washington.

Transform Washington

Transform Washington, a project of Pride Foundation, is our public education campaign, working in close alignment with similar campaigns across the country that are focused on elevating the lives and experiences of transgender and gender diverse people with an emphasis on communities of color.

Transform Washington is building off the work of the Transgender Law Center’s TRANSform California, the Movement Advancement Project, and other national message leaders with the long-term goals of introducing the public to transgender and gender diverse people and the issues we face, and working to move public opinion and increase acceptance, particularly in regards to use of facilities.

We also aim to build a stronger transgender and gender diverse movement by creating sustained infrastructure for underrepresented communities, developing and strengthening leaders, and preparing the supportive public with the language and tools they need to communicate and advocate for transgender and gender diverse people among their family, friends, and networks. In less than a year, Transform Washington has already reached more than 3 million people in our state.

One of Transform Washington’s top efforts is to educate reporters and other thought leaders — audiences who often mean well, but unintentionally further public confusion and misunderstanding around issues facing our community. We’ve hosted dozens of story-telling trainings, reporter briefings and half-day education programs featuring the compelling first-person stories of transgender and gender-diverse people.

Another public education graphic from Transform Washington.

It is the collective work of these coalitions that led to the defeat two years in a row of anti-trans ballot initiatives like I-1552 as well as several bills considered during the 2016 and 2017 legislative sessions.


Washingtonians are rejecting anti-transgender rhetoric and are beginning to see that transgender people deserve the same basic protections as everyone else — to use public facilities with safety, privacy and dignity. We know that as more people get to know transgender and gender diverse folks, the tide will turn against discriminatory efforts like I-1552. We now stand ready to advance public understanding, defeat future discriminatory efforts, and share what we’ve learned with other places facing similar challenges, like , , and Montana.


Jeremiah Allen is a transgender man and the director of .

Seth Kirby is a transgender man and the chair of .


, and follow NCTE on , , and for the latest news on issues affecting the transgender community. Visit for in-depth resources and information on what you can do to support the transgender people in your life.

Trans Equality Now!

A joint project of the National Center for Transgender Equality Action Fund and the National Center for Transgender Equality. Also at ncteactionfund.org and transequality.org.

National Center for Transgender Equality

Written by

We’re the nation’s leading social justice advocacy organization winning life-saving change for transgender people. Also at https://transequality.org.

Trans Equality Now!

A joint project of the National Center for Transgender Equality Action Fund and the National Center for Transgender Equality. Also at ncteactionfund.org and transequality.org.

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