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.

John Curley on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • listen to tom and curleyTune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 3pm for The John Curley Show.

John Curley

John Curley

wdfw commissioners...

John Curley Show

‘This is improper’: Tom Nelson on WDFW commissioners found to have violated open meetings law

An independent investigation commissioned by Gov. Bob Ferguson found that WDFW commissioners violated the state's Open Public Meetings Act and, in some cases, the Public Records Act.

23 hours ago

Katie Wilson gun violence plan seattle - budget...

John Curley Show

‘Her budget reads like somebody that is not part of the DSA’: Curley gives Wilson’s spending plan a rare nod

KIRO host John Curley said he was surprised by Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson's new budget — and not in the way he expected.

2 days ago

tipping washington...

John Curley Show

Washington ranked second-worst tipping state in the country, new data shows

Washington ranked as the second-worst tipping state in the country, according to data from restaurant payments platform Toast.

3 days ago

landlord...

John Curley Show

‘Where’s the emergency for the landlord?’: Curley questions Spokane’s new rent ordinance after fire

KIRO host John Curley had a question after the Spokane City Council passed a new tenant protection ordinance. What about the landlords?

5 days ago

wa teacher student pronouns...

John Curley Show

‘I will lie for you’: WA teacher details how schools are offering to hide students’ pronouns from parents

A WA teacher discusses how schools hide students' pronouns from parents to protect their identity in a revealing interview on "The John Curley Show."

5 days ago

income tax I-645...

John Curley Show

‘They seem to think they know better’: WA Policy Center blasts Supreme Court for tossing voter-approved natural gas initiative

Washington voters approved I-2066 to protect access to natural gas. The state Supreme Court threw it out.

6 days ago

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