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“This executive order is transphobic and blatantly illegal.”
On Friday, March 1, just over a week after Nassau County Bruce Blakeman issued an executive order prohibiting transgender women (those assigned male at birth) from playing in women’s sports, James — who had quickly condemned the act — officially submitted a cease-and-desist against the order.
The order prohibits the Nassau County Parks & Recreation Department from issuing permits to female teams that include transgender women, therefore banning them from playing games at county-run facilities, a move that James’ office says directly violates New York State’s discrimination law.
It would apply not only to local leagues but any league scheduled to play at the over 100 venues in Nassau County, including those traveling in for games.
Jame’s office stated that Blakeman’s order leaves teams with an “impossible” choice — either discriminate against its players or find somewhere else to play.
“The law is perfectly clear: you cannot discriminate against a person because of their gender identity or expression,” she said in a statement released alongside the cease-and-desist. “We have no room for hate or bigotry in New York.”
Blakeman, when issuing the order on Thursday, Feb. 22, likened transgender women playing in women’s sports to “bullying,” saying that “it’s a situation of fairness…it is an unfair advantage for someone who is a biological male to compete against a biological female.”
"This is not precluding anybody from participating in sports," he added.
In addition to violating discrimination laws, James’ office said that Blakeman’s order would unduly cause more scrutiny of women’s sports by opening the girls and women on these teams up to “intrusive and invasive questioning and other verification requirements.”
The cease-and-desist mandates the Nassau County Executive to rescind the order within five days or risk facing further legal action.
Blakeman’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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