LGBTQ groups and leaders from Long Island and around New York State expressed outrage on Feb. 22 after Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman issued an executive order barring trans athletes from playing sports in accordance with their gender identity at county-run facilities — a policy that will undoubtedly draw legal challenges.
Blakeman’s executive order, announced Feb. 22, stipulates that “any sports, leagues, organizations, teams, programs, or sports entities” must be designated based on the gender assigned at birth in one of three categories: “males, men, or boys,” “females, women, or girls,” or “coed or mixed.” The order states that the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation, & Museums is barred from issuing permits in violation of that policy.
Using the offensive and inaccurate term “biological” to refer to gender, Blakeman specifically called out transgender girls and women in a Feb. 22 press conference, saying “there is a movement for biological males to bully their way into competing in” girls’ or women’s sports. But the policy targets trans athletes regardless of gender.
The executive order immediately drew widespread condemnation from New Yorkers who said it violates polices like the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), which was signed into law by former Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2019. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s guidelines state that it is “committed to providing all students with the opportunity to participate in NYSPHSAA activities in a manner consistent with their gender identity and the New York State” and points to the Dignity for All Students Act, an anti-bullying measure intended to ensure schools are free of discrimination and harassment.
“We are profoundly disappointed in Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s announcement of an executive order aimed at banning transgender athletes from participating in sports teams that…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply