A Long Island county executive announced Wednesday that he is suing New York Attorney General Letitia James after she sought to block the county's prohibition on athletes who don't identify with their biological sex.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman issued an executive order on February 22 banning sports organizations from utilizing county-run athletic facilities if they permit male-born athletes from competing against biological females.
Long Island lawmakers SUE NY AG Letitia James for trying to block their ban on transgender athletes by claiming it's 'illegal' https://t.co/LGrfKsZduP pic.twitter.com/jo9Vqf1Aj1
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) March 6, 2024
Effective immediately, the order impacts over 100 sites across the county, including fields, courts, pools, and ice rinks. Last Friday, James issued a "cease and desist" letter, asserting that the order violates New York's anti-discrimination laws and must be rescinded promptly.
The order bars male-born athletes from competing on all-female teams, allowing them to compete on co-ed or all-male teams or transgender-specific teams if established by the organization.
James labeled the order "illegal" in a statement, asserting, "The law is perfectly clear: You cannot discriminate against a person because of their gender identity or expression. This executive order is transphobic and blatantly illegal."
She also expressed concerns that the order would deter teams from other areas from competing in Nassau and could subject female teams to "intrusive and invasive questioning."
Blakeman responded by filing a lawsuit, contending that James' demands were unconstitutional. "What the attorney general is asking us to do is a violation of federal constitutional law and federal statutory law, so our response was to file a lawsuit," he stated.
The county executive emphasized that the aim of the order is to safeguard female athletes from biologically male athletes who may possess physical advantages.
Blakeman is joined in the lawsuit by a local Nassau family. "We're not being anti-transgender at all. I take great offense to that, we're a kind and generous and loving community," he remarked.
When announcing the ban last month, Blakeman stated, 'There is a movement for biological males to bully their way into competing in sports or leagues or teams that identify themselves as or advertise themselves as girls or females.'
He emphasized that the order does not prevent anyone from participating in sports but rather ensures fairness for female athletes competing in women's sports.
The most prominent case of a biological male competing against female athletes occurred when University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who previously swam for the men's team, became the first transgender Division 1 champion.
Thomas is currently suing the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, which recently prohibited athletes who experienced "any part of male puberty" from competing in the women's category.
