County exec sues New York over order to rescind his ban on trans female athletes
Bruce Blakeman, a Republican official in NYC’s suburbs who prohibited trans athletes from participating in girls and women’s sports competitions, has asked a federal court to affirm that he can implement the ban.
MINEOLA, N.Y. — A Republican official in New York City’s suburbs who prohibited transgender athletes from participating in girls and women’s sports competitions has asked a federal court to affirm that he has the power to implement the ban.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that the “cease and desist” letter issued by state Attorney General Letitia James violates the U.S. Constitution’s “equal protection” clause, which is enshrined in the 14th Amendment.
He argued that rescinding his Feb. 22 executive order would deny “biological females’ right to equal opportunities in athletics” as well as their “right to a safe playing field” by exposing them to increased risk of injury if they’re forced to compete against transgender women.
“We set forth this policy was because of unfair competitive advantage that males have,” Blakeman said Wednesday, during a news conference at his office in Mineola. “They’re bigger, faster and stronger. It’s a scientific fact.”
He was joined by a 16-year-old female volleyball player who lives in Nassau County and her parents, who are also plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
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