New York State Attorney General Letitia James filed multiple lawsuits against Nassau County on Monday, as the persistent feud over transgender athletes continues.
My office and @NYCLU are suing Nassau County over its new transphobic and discriminatory law banning transgender women and girls from participating in women and girls’ sports.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) July 15, 2024
In New York, it’s illegal to discriminate against people because of gender identity or expression.
The lawsuit marks James’ most recent attempt to block Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s incessant push to ban trans athletes from participating in women’s and girl’s sports at county-owned facilities.
The ban was signed by Blakeman July 15, after it passed through the Republican-led county legislature last month 12-5. Two Democratic legislators were not present for the vote.
Under the law, any team or league using county facilities will be required to designate itself as “male, female, or coed” depending on team members’ “biological sex at birth.” The law also prohibits the county’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Museums from issuing permits to women’s and girl’s teams with trans players, and defines gender as “biological sex at birth.”
Blakeman, who was joined in support of the bill by Legislators Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence) and Samantha Goetz (R-Locust Valley), claimed the bill “isn’t about transgender rights. It’s about fairness to women.”
“We’ve heard from a lot of people who have a different point of view,” Blakeman told reporters Monday. “And that’s fair, we can agree to disagree. For us, it’s a matter of common sense. It’s a matter of fairness, and it’s a matter of integrity.”
Shortly after the bill, entitled “Fairness for Women and Girls in Sports”, was signed, James and the New York Civil Liberties Union announced their independent lawsuits against the county and Blakeman.
“With this law, Nassau County is once again attempting to exclude transgender girls and women from participating in sporting events while claiming to support fairness,” James said in a statement.
James argued the law’s language is nearly identical to the “discriminatory and transphobic” executive order Blakeman unsuccessfully issued in February. The order was struck down by Nassau County Supreme Court in May following a lawsuit brought by the NYCLU and the Long Island Roller Rebels.
“County Executive Blakeman’s transphobic executive order was struck down because it was blatantly illegal,” said James. “Now this discriminatory law must be as well. Here in New York, every person has the right to be exactly who they are free from discrimination, and my office will always protect that right.”
At least 18 local elected officials have spoken out against the ban so far, along with LGBTQ+ organizations GLAAD, Lambda Legal, The NYC LGBT Community Center, New York LGBT Network, and more.
“The Nassau County legislature has done a disservice to New Yorkers by joining County Executive Blakeman’s efforts to shut transgender women and girls out of sports,” said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. “Blakeman’s anti-trans executive order was a blatant violation of our state’s civil and human rights laws.”
