JOHN CURLEY

‘Not the hill to die on’: Rep. Walsh faults Teachers Union for opposing transgender sports initiative

Dec 13, 2025, 5:00 AM

Several bills and initiatives could come before lawmakers in Olympia next year, including a homeless bill of rights, lower sentencing for sex criminals, and a measure that would block transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports.

WA Representative Jim Walsh joined “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio to discuss the Let’s Go Washington initiative that would prohibit transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports, a measure the Washington Education Association contributed $50,000 to oppose.

“They set up this Insta-PAC designed specifically to fight that initiative, and it’s going to take more than 50k to fight it,” Walsh said. “They’re ideologues, John, it has nothing to do with good policy, education outcomes for kids, or good sports, which I do believe sports are an important part of K-12 education, learning, not just the physical well-being in playing sports, but there are life skills in it. Learning to win and lose with grace, getting along with teammates.

“They are hard-wired into this transgender ideology, and they want to couch it as if you don’t support them, you have no sympathy or empathy for a transgender person. That is a lie,” Walsh continued. “You can have complete sympathy for a transgender person and not want biological boys in girls’ locker rooms, and playing on the field or court against young girls. The two are not mutually exclusive. You can believe both things. It’s unfortunate because the teachers’ union is going to lose members by doing this. This is a losing issue for them; this is not the hill to die on.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to John Curley weekday afternoons from 3 – 7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

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