Brian Heywood is Bankrolling Conservative Ballot Measures in Washington
“He’s an oligarch,” said Danni Askini, executive director of Washington’s Gender Justice League. “He’s spending millions and millions of his own money backing these measures about trans people, but a year ago, he was pushing something else. He’s a political opportunist.”
Trans sports ban that could require genital exams will appear on the ballot in Washington
A far-right political action committee says it has collected enough signatures to potentially get a trans sports ban onto Washington state’s ballot in November, and that ban would require girls to undergo physical examinations to participate in school sports.
Trans Sports Ban With Genital Inspections Gains Enough Signatures To Appear On Washington State Ballot
The initiative collected 400,000 signatures, and will be one of the first major attempts to get an anti-trans law onto the ballot in a state that has dubbed itself a “refuge” for transgender people.
Slog AM: Trump Chooses Oil Over the Constitution, Ferry Service to Kitsap Is Screwed, and the Seattle Times Has a New Blethen in Charge
Your Least Favorite Initiative Man Is Back: Tech millionaire Brian Heywood’s org, Let’s Go Washington, filed signatures for two anti-LGBTQ initiatives.
Signatures filed for initiatives on parental rights, blocking trans athletes from girls’ sports
Supporters of two citizen initiatives, one focused on parental rights and another on barring transgender athletes from girls’ sports, moved closer Friday to getting those measures before the Washington state Legislature, and potentially voters.
Gender Justice League commits $100,000 to oppose Let’s Go Washington’s anti-Queer ballot initiatives
The local civil rights and Transgender advocacy organization Gender Justice League (GJL) announced that it will commit $100,000 in 2026 toward defeating two initiatives, IL26-001 (“the Parents’ Bill of Rights”) and IL26-638 (“Protecting Fairness in Girls’ Sports”).
Local journalists, LGBTQIA+ organizations feel pressure of right-wing influencers
When former FOX 13 journalist-turned-influencer Brandi Kruse said that FBI Director Kash Patel should investigate the Seattle-based Gender Justice League for “left-wing violence,” GJL’s Kai Aprill-Tomlin immediately started thinking about how to protect the team from violence and threats, he said.
Guess we’re all terrorists now: What the new White House memo means for Trans people and organizations
The White House’s recent memorandum, “Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence,” represents a dangerous expansion of state power that threatens Trans people and organizations.
Interfering with signature-gathering for WA initiatives is on the rise. It’s also illegal
“These attacks harm our communities and go against everything that our campaign stands for. The baseless insinuation from Brian Heywood that we have anything to do with these violent acts is offensive,” Askini said in a statement…
Trans in 2025: Danni Askini answers our questions on sports bans, medical care and beyond
2025 has been a busy year for Danni Askini. As Executive Director of the Gender Justice League, Askini is involved in multiple lawsuits fighting Trump Administration policies related to trans rights. She’s also…