No Hate in WA State: Vote NO on IL 26-001 and IL 26-638
Queer Power Alliance is a community-rooted organization building collective power for LGBTQIA+ communities through advocacy, data, education, and grassroots organizing. Our work is grounded in advancing housing stability, economic justice, and equitable access to resources—centering those most impacted by systemic inequities.
We want to begin by acknowledging and thanking the many advocates, organizers, and community leaders who continue to show up every day to advance equity, justice, and dignity for all. Your work has shaped movements, protected rights, and ensured that communities have a voice in the decisions that impact their lives. We are deeply grateful for the collective effort and commitment to building a more just future.
Today, we also want to lift up the urgency of what is happening here in Washington State. We are facing two harmful initiatives, IL 26-001 and IL 26-638, that raise serious concerns for our young community members. These measures threaten to roll back critical protections, create harm under the guise of policy, and further marginalize those who are already most impacted by inequity.
Washington state students are facing new threats from a well-funded extremist effort pushing initiatives that could reshape the future of our public schools. These proposals attack student privacy, undermine equitable education, and target youth who are already vulnerable, including undocumented, unhoused, disabled, and transgender students.
IL 26-001 would roll back key student privacy protections by forcing schools to release sensitive student information. It would weaken nondiscrimination protections, silence important classroom conversations about race, gender, and history, and burden educators with unnecessary bureaucracy, pulling time and resources away from students and learning.
IL 26-638 directly targets transgender youth by attempting to exclude transgender girls from school sports. It imposes a blanket ban and opens the door to invasive and harmful practices, including requiring students to “prove” their gender through deeply inappropriate examinations. This is not about fairness; it is about fear. These policies would increase bullying, stigma, and division, while putting students’ dignity and safety at risk.
To be clear: these initiatives do not reflect Washington’s values. They are part of a broader effort to divide communities, restrict rights, and politicize our schools. Our schools should be safe, welcoming spaces where every student, no matter who they are, can learn, grow, and belong.
That is why we are saying clearly: No Hate in Washington State. We urge everyone to vote NO on IL 26-001 and IL 26-638.
Our communities deserve policies rooted in care, dignity, and truth, not fear or exclusion. When we come together, stay informed, and take action, we protect not only ourselves but future generations.
