Opponents of allowing transgender athletes in female sports are launching a national strategy centered on voter-backed ballot measures in blue and purple states.Speaking on "The Riley Gaines Show," former gymnastics champion and XX-XY Athletics CEO Jennifer Sey revealed grassroots organizers have successfully qualified a biological sex-protection measure for the November ballot in Colorado."Here in, I mean deep blue Colorado — [it] is not a purple state anymore, as you know, it is blue — we got the signatures we needed to put this to the people in November," Sey said, noting the campaign gathered 25% more signatures than required."We're not done yet because now we need people to vote for it," she added."The next wave is ballot initiatives in these blue and purple states."JENNIFER SEY DEBATES PRO-TRANSGENDER ACTIVISTS OVER WOMEN'S SPORTS POLICIES, WINS BASED ON AUDIENCE DATAProtesters against transgender athletes competing in women's sports gathered outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Jan.
13, 2026, as two cases about transgender girls joining girls' and women's sports teams were heard inside the court.(Heather Diehl/Getty Images)Ballot Initiative 109 would require students to compete on sports teams based on their sex assigned at birth.
The measure would apply to both high school and college athletes.Critics argue it would restrict transgender students from participating on teams that align with their gender identity.Sey said they’ve been able to get the measure on the ballot with little money, noting it’s a grassroots organization.
She added that another blue state, Washington, is advancing a similar initiative to restrict transgender athletes from joining female sports teams."We didn't have a lot of money.We didn't really have any money here in Colorado, but we had an amazing grassroots organization, and we went out and got the signatures," she said.Still, Sey noted that a change in culture could be just as impactful as a change in the la...