New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after a court ruled that Nassau County’s ban on transgender athletes is unlawful:
“Nobody should have to fight to play the game they love. Transgender athletes have the right to play on the court, field, or roller rink like everyone else, and today the Second Department made clear that Nassau County cannot ban them.
“No one asked for this illegal and exclusionary policy. Bruce Blakeman was just trying to stop athletes from playing with their teammates. I am pleased the court saw right through it.
“As long as I am attorney general, no New Yorker will be shut out of public life because of who they are.”
Attorney General James sued Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in July 2024 over a county law banning transgender girls and women from participating in women’s sporting events at county-run parks and facilities, which Attorney General James argued directly conflicted with state anti-discrimination laws.
Today, the New York Appellate Division, Second Department, declared the law illegal, ruling that New York Human Rights Law and Civil Rights Law “expressly prohibit the County from restricting access to places of public accommodation based on a person’s gender identity or expression, including whether the person identifies as transgender.”
The New York Civil Liberties Union posted, “New York Appeals Court has struck down Nassau County’s anti-sports ban, which prohibited trans women and girls from participating in women’s and girls’ sports at county-run athletic facilities. In 2024 we sued Nassau County on behalf of the Long Island Roller Rebels, a women’s roller derby league that welcomes transgender women. With this decision, the Roller Rebels will finally be able to play in their county’s athletic facilities. This is an incredible victory for trans people in New York, especially trans women and girls in Nassau County.”