New York Attorney General Letitia James has been sued by a Nassau County executive, who accused her of unconstitutional discrimination when she issued a cease and desist letter and threatened legal action to force the county to allow female-identifying males to compete in women’s sports.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said in a post on X that he filed the lawsuit “to protect women’s sports and ensure a safe environment for women.”
“Bullying of women and girls will not be tolerated!” he added.
He argued that Ms. James’ cease and desist order violates the constitutional rights of girls and women, while accusing her of “unconstitutionally discriminating against individuals on the basis of gender” in context of sporting events.
“We find that unacceptable. It’s a form of bullying,” he said at the time.
In response, Ms. James demanded that the executive order be revoked, arguing that New York law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as “gender identity or expression.”
A spokesperson for Ms. James’ office told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that it believes Mr. Blakeman’s executive order is “transphobic and discriminatory” and violates New York state law.
‘Undeniable’ Biological Differences
The Nassau County executive order mandates that sports organizations applying for permits in Nassau County facilities must designate teams according to one of three categories: males, men, or boys; females, women, or girls; coed or mixed, including males and females. The criterion for designation is a team member’s biological sex.The new rule expressly prohibits the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums from issuing permits for the use of county facilities for competitions or sports events in which biological males participate in female-designated teams and leagues.
Ms. Goetz, who played varsity basketball, said the executive order is also about access to opportunity like sports scholarships and, ultimately, it’s about “protecting our female athletes.”
Mr. Blakeman argued at the press conference that the problem chiefly concerns female-identifying males taking part in women’s sports. He said allowing this poses a safety risk due to female competitors due to men’s generally superior strength and size, while also depriving women of opportunities.
“What we are saying here today with our executive order is that if a league or team identifies themselves or advertises themselves to be a girls’ or women’s league or team, then biological males should not be competing in those leagues,” he said.
Mr. Blakeman added that he hoped the move would not be seen as discriminatory. He pointedly stated that transgender athletes are welcome to compete in the co-ed or mixed league or in one that corresponds to their sex but not necessarily their preferred gender identity.
‘Blatantly Illegal’
Ms. James claimed that the executive order violates the rights of men who identify as women, and forces sports teams and leagues to either discriminate against them or find another place to play.“The law is perfectly clear: you cannot discriminate against a person because of their gender identity or expression. We have no room for hate or bigotry in New York,” Ms. James said in a statement.
“This executive order is transphobic and blatantly illegal,” she continued, adding that if the county doesn’t revoke the order, she'll take further legal action.
The issue of men competing in women’s sports has become a highly charged issue, with a number of states adopting laws banning transgender-identifying athletes from participating in school sports.
