In a landmark decision, a New York judge has struck down a Long Island county’s order banning female transgender athletes. The ruling came after the Long Island Roller Rebels challenged the order issued by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in February. The judge, Francis Ricigliano, stated that Blakeman did not have the authority to issue the executive order, which denied park permits to women’s and girl’s teams that allow transgender athletes to participate. The judge found that the order aimed to prevent transgender women from participating in girls’ and women’s athletics without any legislative basis to support it.
The president of the Long Island Roller Rebels, Amanda Urena, hailed the decision as a victory against discrimination and a strong message in support of transgender rights. The New York Civil Liberties Union, which represented the roller derby league in the lawsuit, praised the decision for overturning a harmful policy based on harmful stereotypes about transgender women and girls. The lawsuit argued that the state’s human rights and civil rights statutes explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity, citing the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act and guidance from the state Division of Human Rights.
Blakeman, who maintained that the ban was meant to protect girls and women from injury if forced to compete against transgender women, dismissed the judge’s decision and expressed concern for the impact on girls and women in the county. The ban affected over 100 athletic facilities in Nassau County, including ballfields, basketball and tennis courts, swimming pools, and ice rinks. The roller derby league filed suit after being denied a permit to host games at county parks this summer and argued that the state’s laws prohibit discrimination against transgender individuals in public accommodations.
In a separate legal case, a federal judge rejected Blakeman’s attempt to prevent the state attorney general’s office from taking action against the ban. The state attorney general’s office had issued a cease-and-desist letter warning that the order violated anti-discrimination laws. Advocates for the LGBTQ+ community highlighted that bills banning transgender youth from participating in sports have passed in 24 states, raising concerns about the impact of such legislation on the rights and inclusion of transgender individuals. The decision in New York sets a precedent in support of transgender inclusion in sports and challenges discriminatory policies targeting transgender athletes.
