Bill banning biological males from female sports on Nassau County facilities signed, sparking lawsuits

A Nassau County bill banning biological males from participating in women’s sports and activities on county facilities was signed on July 15.

"It's a good day for women in Nassau County, today," Legislator Samantha Goetz, who represents Legislative District 18 and is a sponsor of the measure, said at a  news conference in Mineola on that Monday. 

Presiding Officer Howard Kopel expressed his support for the legislation. 

"It's here to protect women and this is something that I think that all people of good will should accept and understand," Kopel said. 

Immediately after the law was signed,  New York State Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against the county on claims that it conflicts with state discrimination laws. 

"With this law, Nassau County is once again attempting to exclude transgender girls and women from participating in sporting events while claiming to support fairness," James wrote in a news release. "NYCLU  and the Long Island Roller Rebels won their first lawsuit and County Executive Blakeman's transphobic executive order was struck down because it was blatantly illegal. Now this discriminatory law must be as well. Here in New York, every person has the right to be exactly who they are free from discrimination, and my office will always protect that right."

New York Civil Liberties Union also filed a lawsuit against Blakeman and the county legislature.

“It is abundantly clear that any attempt to ban trans women and girls from sports is prohibited by our state’s antidiscrimination laws," Gabriella Larios, staff attorney at NYCLU wrote in a news release. "It was true when we successfully struck down County Executive Blakeman’s transphobic policy and it is true now. This latest round of hateful legislation is unacceptable and we won’t let it stand in New York.” 

 The County Legislature approved the bill in a 12-5 vote along party lines on June 24, following an executive order that Blakeman issued earlier this year, which has faced more than one court challenge,

"For us it's a  matter of common sense, it's a matter of fairness and it's a matter of integrity," Blakeman said at the July 15 news conference. 

The bill was filed June 7 and was passed by the legislature's rules committee just three days later.

“If they do continue to push forward on this harmful legislation, the NYCLU will certainly see them in court, and we believe it will be promptly struck down as unlawful under our state anti-discrimination law," Bobby Hodgson, New York Civil Liberties Union assistant legal director previously said to the Herald. 

After signing his executive order in February, that demanded sports, leagues, organizations, teams, programs or sport entities in county facilities designate themselves based on male, female or co-ed, to only accept athletes who meet that criteria according to their sex at birth, James sent a cease-and-desist letter to Blakeman demanding he rescind it.

Blakeman responded a few days later with a  federal lawsuit contesting the order, which was denied in federal court and dismissed in April.

The county Supreme Court struck down Blakeman’s executive order on May 10, after a legal challenge by the NYCLU.

Blakeman said he plans to appeal the decision.