A New York county has hit a roadblock in trying to protect female athletes amid national efforts to force biological males into women’s spaces. In March, Nassau County passed a measure banning transgender females from participating in women’s sports.
The New York Supreme Court struck down Nassau County’s directive, arguing that the city did not possess the authority to enact the measure.
Judge Francis Ricigliano issued the ruling on Friday.
“With the stated goal of protecting women’s and girls’ rights to compete athletically, the County Executive issued an Executive Order aimed at preventing transgender women from participating in girls’ and women’s athletics at Nassau County parks, despite there being no corresponding legislative enactment providing the County Executive with the authority to issue such an order,” Ricigliano said in the 13-page decision.
Blakeman will appeal the decision. He reacted with a statement.
“Lack of courage from a Judge who didn’t want to decide the case on its merits,” he said. “Unfortunately, girls and women are hurt by the Court.”
“The plaintiffs conceded that I had the authority to issue the Executive Order and the judge on his own went out of his way to avoid ruling on the merits,” Blakeman told the New York Post.
The ruling resulted from a New York Civil Liberties Union lawsuit filed on behalf of the Long Island Roller Rebels, which claimed the directive was discriminatory.
I must say, this story lends an entirely new meaning to the term “roller derby queen.” In Nassau County, New York, a women’s roller derby league is suing to force the county to allow transgender women — in other words, men — to play on the Roller Rebels roller derby team.
A women’s roller derby league has asked a New York court to invalidate a Republican official’s order banning female sports teams with transgender athletes from using county facilities, saying it violates state law.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in state court on behalf of the Long Island Roller Rebels, argues that the state’s human rights and civil rights statutes explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity.
It’s the latest salvo in a battle over an executive order issued Feb. 22 by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman that covers more than 100 athletic facilities in the densely populated county next to New York City, including ballfields, basketball and tennis courts, swimming pools and ice rinks.
The Roller Rebels were concerned that they would not be able to include biological males experiencing gender dysphoria on the team.
The New York Civil Liberties Union celebrated the ruling in a post on X, calling it a “huge victory for all trans people in Nassau.”
NEW: The Nassau County Supreme Court has struck down the executive order that banned transgender women and girls from participating in sports at county-run facilities.
— NYCLU (@NYCLU) May 10, 2024
This is a huge victory for all trans people in Nassau, especially our plaintiffs @LIRollerRebels.
The overturning of Nassau County’s directive is not surprising, given the political climate in New York. Folks on the left have continually used the government to promote progressive gender ideology in sports and other institutions. Unfortunately, in deep blue areas of the country, it might not currently be possible to push back against governmental authorities intent on supporting the trans agenda.
However, this does not mean the agenda cannot eventually be defeated, even in states like the Granite State. It would be more of an uphill battle than in other parts of the country, but those battling against these efforts can expose what is happening in women’s sports.
