A ban on transgender women and girls in sports was signed into law Monday in Nassau County and immediately challenged in court by Attorney General Letitia James and the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed the bill five months after attempting the same maneuver with an executive order, which was struck down in court.
The law prevents transgender women from participating in women’s sports at public facilities and parks in Nassau County, forcing them into coed or men’s leagues.
Throughout the process, Blakeman and supporters of the law have provided no examples of transgender women or girls affecting sports leagues in Nassau County. Blakeman has claimed the law is meant to be preventative.
Attorney General James filed an immediate lawsuit challenging the bill, claiming it violates New York state laws that prohibit discrimination based on gender or sexual identity.
“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,” she said in a statement. “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.”
Blakeman, a Republican, initially attempted to enforce the ban through an executive order issued in February. However, the NYCLU sued to block it, and in May a Nassau County Supreme Court judge ruled he did not have the authority to issue such a ban.
But the courts ignored the civil rights issue at the center of the case, so Blakeman went to Nassau County’s Republican-majority legislature. Local lawmakers passed the ban in June, following a contentious public comment session and biting exchanges between legislators.
Numerous Republican-controlled state and local governments throughout the country have passed similar laws in recent years, part of a nationwide conservative push against transgender people.
