On Friday, New York Attorney General Letitia James warned of potential legal consequences for a Nassau County official regarding a ban that prohibits transgender women and girls from joining women’s and girls’ teams at county-operated facilities.
James issued a cease-and-desist order to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, stating that she would pursue “decisive legal action” if Blakeman does not promptly revoke the order.
James called Blakeman’s executive order from February 22 “transphobic and blatantly illegal.”
The recent regulations state that athletes must participate solely according to the gender assigned to them at birth when seeking permission to utilize over 100 venues managed by Nassau County on Long Island.
These facilities encompass various playing fields in parks, such as baseball, football, and soccer fields, as well as basketball and tennis courts, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and ice rinks.
It is against the law in New York State to discriminate against someone on the basis of their gender identity or expression or sex.
“The law is perfectly clear: you cannot discriminate against a person because of their gender identity or expression. We have no room for hate or bigotry in New York,” James stated in her statement.
“This executive order is transphobic and blatantly illegal. Nassau County must immediately rescind the order, or we will not hesitate to take decisive legal action.”
According to James, the executive order will not only have a detrimental impact on Nassau County residents, but it will also discourage athletes from other places from visiting the region and playing against local teams.
