For Democrats, this week’s midterm elections went nearly as well as they could have hoped. The party has gained at least seven seats in the Senate and 29 in the House of Representatives, securing full Congressional control. Some conservative strongholds even flipped blue, including Kansas, South Carolina, and Texas.
Election Day also marked a number of groundbreaking firsts for the country, including the first Black woman to serve as governor, and the first openly gay man and first Muslim to win seats in the Senate.But the so-called “blue tsunami” doesn’t mean liberal policies won out everywhere, even in places where Democrats gained or maintained control. Four states passed or are close to passing ballot initiatives to restrict the rights of transgender children, including three that voted blue in this election.
States’ anti-trans initiatives
So far, two ballot initiatives restricting the rights of transgender student athletes have already passed. The first is Nebraska’s Initiative 442, which amends the state’s constitution to require that schools designate sports teams as male, female, or coeducational based on “biological sex.” It also bans “students of the male sex” from playing on girls’ teams. The measure passed with 68% approval.The second measure to pass is Arizona’s Proposition 318, which similarly requires schools to designate teams by gender and prohibits any students assigned male at birth from playing on girls’ teams. Unlike Nebraska, Arizona was solidly blue in this election, with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs winning reelection.
The other states with initiatives addressing trans athletes on their ballots are Colorado and Washington, both of which have Democratic governors and two Democratic senators.
In Colorado, two ballot initiatives center on trans children. Proposition 134 would follow Arizona and Nebraska’s lead in requiring athletes to play on teams matching their sex assigned at birth, while Proposition 135 would prohibit gender-affirming surgery for minors.
Washington’s Initiative 638 is perhaps the most controversial of all these measures. Beyond restricting students to sports teams that match their sex assigned at birth, the initiative would require all players on girls’ teams to provide a statement from a medical provider verifying their sex, potentially involving genital exams.
Colorado’s and Washington’s measures are still too close to call, but reports show they are currently on track for approval.
LGBTQ+ social media reacts
While many online are celebrating the blue tsunami, the success of these anti-trans measures has spoiled what would otherwise be a resounding political victory for some voters.
“I don’t feel like ‘libbing out,’” reads one viral post sharing a graphic of the initiatives’ early results. It’s garnered more than 243,000 views on X.
I don’t feel like “libbing out” pic.twitter.com/QmevNtdYdQ— hanna h. heebert (@chantaldykerman) November 4, 2026
“Yes, there is a blue wave. But the amount of transphobic initiatives that are passing, even in deep blue states, is very very concerning,” writes another user.
Others agreed that the measures’ success in Democratic strongholds was especially troublesome: “‘Blue wave’ but trans people aren’t even safe in Denver, Colorado,” reads one response to the news.
“Blue wave is great but please don’t leave trans women and girls behind while you celebrate,” a fourth user pleads. “Trans girls’ rights were successfully taken away yesterday in several states; they’re still here and deserve to be fought for.”
