The Attorney General of New York and the New York Civil Liberties Union have jointly filed lawsuits against Nassau County on Long Island for the recent decision to prohibit transgender females from participating in women’s sports teams using county facilities. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican, signed the ban into law, following a previous attempt through an executive order that was blocked by a judge. Both lawsuits contest that the ban goes against state anti-discrimination laws. Attorney General Letitia James criticized the law, stating that it excludes transgender individuals under the guise of promoting fairness.
Blakeman had initially tried to enforce the policy through an executive order in February, which was halted by a court ruling. Subsequently, in June, the Nassau County Legislature, predominantly controlled by Republicans, voted to reintroduce the ban. The regulation would restrict trans athletes from participating in about 100 county-owned sports facilities unless they join teams that align with the gender assigned to them at birth or coed teams.
Expressing disappointment in the lawsuits, Blakeman defended the ban as an effort to uphold the integrity of women’s sports, ensure participant safety, and provide a secure competitive environment for girls and women. The New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Long Island Roller Rebels, a women’s roller derby league that had previously succeeded in challenging Blakeman’s initial executive order.
The staff attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union, Gabriella Larios, emphasized that any endeavor to prevent transgender women and girls from participating in sports contradicts the state’s anti-discrimination laws. This sentiment was echoed following the successful legal action against County Executive Blakeman’s previous policy and remains valid in the current circumstances.
