A New York state supreme court judge has issued a ruling that will allow males to join female-only sports teams in Nassau County once again.
In February, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed an executive order that barred trans-identifying males from joining female-only sports teams that use county athletic facilities for competition, as Blaze News previously reported.
“Lack of courage from a judge who didn’t want to decide the case on its merits.”
However, many LGBTQ-related organizations immediately cried foul, and New York Attorney General Letitia James vowed to fight the executive order in court. In a cease and desist letter issued days later, James called Blakeman’s executive order “discriminatory,” “transphobic,” and “illegal.”
Now, it seems James and other LGBTQ+ supporters have won the first round of legal battles in this case. On Friday, in response to a lawsuit filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the Long Island Roller Rebels, a women’s roller derby league based in Nassau County, Justice Francis Ricigliano of the New York Supreme Court claimed that Blakeman lacked the authority to enact the policy regarding women’s and girls’ sports and therefore overruled it.
“This Court finds the County Executive acted beyond the scope of his authority as the Chief Executive Officer of Nassau County,” Ricigliano wrote in the 13-page decision.
The judge claimed that the county legislature must first pass such a bill before the county executive can sign it into law. Thus, Ricigliano apparently did not consider the merits of the case but only the procedures undergirding it.
“Lack of courage from a judge who didn’t want to decide the case on its merits. Unfortunately girls and women are hurt by the court,” Blakeman said about the judge and the ruling. He confirmed that he intends to appeal.
Meanwhile, AG James is celebrating the decision, calling it “a major victory” in the fight against discrimination. “My office will keep working to ensure every New Yorker is free to be who they are,” she wrote on X.
Amanda Urena — the vice president of Long Island Roller Rebels, who competes under the name Curly Fry, identifies as queer, and prefers they/them pronouns — likewise considers the judge’s ruling “a victory” for inclusivity in the fight against “transphobia.” “Today’s decision is a victory for those who believe that transgender people have the right to participate in sports just like everyone else,” Urena said.
“County Executive Blakeman’s order tried to punish us just because we believe in inclusion and stand against transphobia. Trans people belong everywhere, including in sports, and they will not be erased.”
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Politics, Women’s sports, Girls’ sports, Women-only, Nassau county, Bruce blakeman, Letitia james, Human interest
