A Washington citizen's initiative, passed during Pride Month, that may increase the risk of abuse and violence of LGBTQ+ students was recently highlighted by Moms for Liberty (M4L) in its 2024 impact report. While it paints itself as a grassroots organization dedicated to preserving American life, GLAAD points out that it is an extremist organization that relies on connections to national anti-LGBTQ+ groups and politicians to move their agenda forward.

"Looking ahead to 2025, I feel more hopeful and energized than ever. We're just getting started," Tina Descovich, executive director of M4L, said in the report. "This year was a stepping stone to even greater voices. Together, we will continue to grow our chapters, win back school boards, and fight to protect the innocence of our children."

M4L, which has chapters in King and Benton Counties, launched about four years ago and has about 130,000 members in the US. This year, the group focused its efforts on key swing states, like Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina, ahead of the presidential election.

The report states how the organization helped win 69 school board races across the country and helped pass 32 state legislative bills related to parental rights.

"Our wins are not only found in bills that reach a governor's desk, but also achieved in those we oppose," Charlie Misseijer, director of policy and legislative affairs at M4L, said in the report. "This occurs more frequently in 'blue' states like Colorado and Illinois, where our parents helped kill gender-affirming health care bills, and another in New York that sought to allow [minors'] medical treatment without parental consent."

Title IX

The report mentions the Biden administration's Title IX rewrite, which was issued in April and strengthens protections against sex-based harassment, while clarifying protections for LGBTQI+, pregnant, and parenting students, according to the National Women's Law Center. The rewrite states that Title IX has always protected Queer students under gender equality, and clarifies that legislation and policies that attack students because of their gender identity, sex characteristics, and sexual orientation violate non discrimination laws at the federal level.

The passage of I-2081 in Washington brought M4L one step closer to defeating the rewrite. The SGN previously reported on the initiative, which allows parents and legal guardians to receive public school records, like vocational counseling and medical records. It also allows parents to opt their children out of surveys, assignments, questionnaires, and any other student engagement activities that relate to a child's sexual orientation and experiences.

When the SGN spoke with the Gender Justice League in June, Kai Aprill-Tomlin, communications manager, said the organization was deeply concerned that I-2081 would break students' trust in adults, ultimately leading to more harm. Furthermore, this initiative can lead to the outing of LGBTQ+ youth to their parents or guardians.

Let's Go Washington, a conservative group, collected 454,372 signatures from supporters for the initiative. Rather than placing the measure on the November ballot for voters to decide, Washington lawmakers chose to enact it as is.

WA legislators fight back, with more pushback to come

Sen. Jamie Pedersen (D-43) and Rep. Nicole Macri (D-43) coauthored an op-ed in the Seattle Times earlier this year, stating that about 90% of the initiative is already state law or commonly practiced. They added that they believed the initiative did not pose a threat to Queer youth, but that they stand ready to fight if it causes harm.

This November, Sen. Pedersen was elected Senate majority leader, making Washington the first state to have two LGBTQ+ legislative leaders serving at the same time, joining House Speaker Laurie Jinkins (D-27). In an interview with the SGN shortly after, he noted how the state has strong laws and protections for the Trans community.

"One of our first actions in the 2025 session will be to amend Initiative 2081, the so-called 'Parents Bill of Rights,' to make it clear that the initiative does not change or undermine our robust protections for Trans youth, and young people seeking reproductive healthcare or mental health care," Sen. Pedersen said.

Gaining traction

M4L saw a surge in social media followers in 2024: its YouTube page's followers and viewership increased by 48%, while X (formerly Twitter, now owned by billionaire and MAGA Republican Elon Musk) saw a 50.8% increase, according to the report.

For years, M4L has not only gained traction but has also thrived while pursuing its anti-Queer agenda, partially due to funding and organizational support from anti-LGBTQ+ nonprofits, like from the Heritage Foundation in 2022.

The Heritage Foundation is a think tank spearheading Project 2025, a 180-day conservative agenda for the Trump administration that seeks, among other goals, to restrict LGBTQ+ rights: under the Department of Health and Human Services section, the third goal listed is to promote nuclear families composed of heterosexual couples.

"Unfortunately, family policies and programs under President Biden's HHS are fraught with agenda items focusing on 'LGBTQ+ equity,' subsidizing single motherhood, disincentivizing work, and penalizing marriage," the Project 2025 document states. "These policies should be repealed and replaced by policies that support the formation of stable, married, nuclear families."