A New York state appeals court has put a hold on Long Island County’s ban against transgender athletes participating in women’s sports at county-owned facilities, despite a judge’s recent support for the measure.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is determined to proceed with the law, which was enacted in June 2024. He stated, “Nassau County will continue to protect the integrity and safety of women’s sports.”
Judge R. Bruce Cozens previously declared that the ban was intended to “protect women and girls,” allowing transgender athletes to compete in coed sports leagues instead. However, the appeals court has now halted the enforcement of the ban.
This law originated from an executive order issued by Blakeman in February 2024 but was repealed following a lawsuit from the Long Island Roller Rebels, a roller derby league led by transgender president Amanda “Curly Fry” Urena. The Republican-held county legislature subsequently enacted the ban, which raised concerns of violating state anti-discrimination laws.
The state Board of Appeals noted that transforming the women’s roller derby league into a co-ed format would compromise its identity and hinder its growth and participation within the sport.
Urena expressed her joy at the court’s decision, highlighting the unacceptability of Nassau County’s “transphobic and cruel ban.” Gabriela Larios, an attorney from the New York Civil Liberties Union, emphasized that this ruling reinforces that attempts to exclude trans women and girls from sports conflict with state anti-discrimination statutes.
Blakeman’s suspension of the ban impacts over 100 sporting facilities throughout the county.
