Nassau County bans trans women from playing sports at its facilities

An executive order signed by the Nassau County executive on Thursday essentially bars trans women from participating in women’s sports teams at facilities run by the county, and forces sports leagues to comply with the measure or lose access to fields and facilities.

“There’s too much bullying going on of biological males trying to inject themselves and women in female sports, and we will not tolerate that in Nassau County,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said at a press conference on Thursday.

The county licenses more than 100 facilities to sports leagues, which can be banned from using these spaces if they don’t comply with the new measure, according to the executive order, which Gothamist obtained a copy of.

The sports leagues will need to affirmatively state that they are in compliance with the order – which went into effect immediately after Blakeman signed it – or lose access, Blakeman echoed at the press conference.

Sports teams must comply when “applying for a use and occupancy permit to utilize Nassau County parks property for the purposes of organizing a sporting event or competition,” the order reads.

In the United States, 25 states have laws or regulations banning transgender youth from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity – affecting 38% of transgender youth in the country, according to data from the Movement Advancement Project. In April, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill that would ban trans athletes from female sports teams – but the legislation did not receive the support of President Joe Biden or the Democrat-run Senate.

During the press conference, Blakeman spoke alongside dozens of girls holding signs that read ‘Protect women's rights.’ Kim Russell, a former lacrosse coach at Oberlin College who was demoted after she spoke out against transgender athletes, was also in attendance.

“I just want to thank County Executive Blakeman for being a pioneer – and standing up for women,” she said.

Many LGBTQ+ rights politicians and organizations criticized Blakeman’s measure.

The New York Civil Liberties Union called the executive order “illegal” and said it is already considering options to stop it.

“Requiring girls who are trans to compete on boys’ teams effectively bars them from sports altogether,” said Bobby Hodgson, the NYCLU’s LGBTQ rights litigation director, in a press release. “Participating would mean being outed and being denied the same opportunities other girls enjoy: to challenge themselves, improve fitness, and be part of a team of their peers. At its heart, this order is an attempt to shut trans people out of public spaces.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul criticized the move on social media.

"There is nothing lower than trying to score cheap political points by putting a target on the backs of some of our state’s most vulnerable people: Trans kids," Hochul posted on X. "New York has some of the nation’s strongest protections for the LGBTQ+ community, and I am committed to enforcing them."

State Attorney General Letitia James called the executive order "transphobic and deeply dangerous" in a statement, and added that her office was reviewing its legal options.

“In New York, we have laws that protect our beautifully diverse communities from hate and discrimination of any and every kind," James said in a statement. "My office is charged with enforcing and upholding those laws, and we stand up to those who violate them and trespass on the rights of marginalized communities."

This story has been updated with comment from Gov. Kathy Hochul.