Maine's secretary of state just threw out a ballot initiative that would have banned transgender students from participating in sports that match their gender identity. The petition failed because more than 12,000 signatures were found to be invalid — the organizers didn't follow the rules, and the initiative fell short of the threshold required to reach voters.

But the group behind it, Protect Girls Sports in Maine, has already said they plan to keep pushing. They have 10 days to appeal, and they can try again for a future ballot.

Transgender kids in Maine deserve to play sports, use school facilities, and go to school without being targeted by ballot campaigns that treat them as a political issue. These students are children. They are not a threat.

Maine already stood up once. We're calling on Maine lawmakers and Governor Janet Mills to make clear: this initiative is not welcome on any future ballot. Protect transgender students — don't bring this back.