A roller derby league on New York’s Long Island is suing county leaders over an executive order banning girls’ teams and girls’ teams featuring transgender athletes from using county-managed parks and fields.
The Long Island Roller Rebels are gearing up for the latest roller derby season at the local roller rink, but now there’s an even bigger battle in the works. That’s something League Vice President Amanda Urena knew the league would want to object to.
“The whole point of the Derby is for people to feel welcome,” Urena, who competes as “Curly Fry” and identifies as queer, said at the United Skating of America in Seaford, according to the Associated Press. said at a recent practice. “We want trans women to know that we want you to come and play with us. We will continue to fight and create safe spaces for you. We will do our best to make sure there is.”
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This view shows Amanda “Curly Fly” Urena’s helmet at United Skating of America on March 19, 2023 in Seaford, New York. (AP Photo/Gina Moon)
The league’s lawsuit, backed by the New York Civil Liberties Union, follows Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s February order that sports leagues seek permission to use county parks. The team says it must be made clear whether a transgender person is a woman or a girl. Be on a team or allowed to join a league.
If so, permits would be denied to women’s and women’s leagues, but men’s leagues are not affected by the order.
Transgender participation in women’s sports will become an even hotter topic in 2023
The Roller Rebels were among the teams seeking permission for the county-owned rink, but it is expected to be denied. The league is open to anyone who identifies as female, and there is already one transgender player registered.
State Attorney General Letitia James has already asked Nassau County to rescind the order, saying it violates anti-discrimination laws. Meanwhile, Blakeman asked a federal judge to uphold the order.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman speaks to the crowd during the State of the County Address at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola, New York on March 6, 2024. (Steve Forst/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
Roller derby has long been an inclusive sport. Margot Atwell, author of Derby Life and a New York City roller derby player, said New York has been a safe haven for queer and transgender women for decades.
“You come here and say, ‘I’m a trans woman. I’m nonbinary. I’m genderqueer.'” Okay? We accept you,’” said Caitlin Carroll, a member of the Roller Rebels and called “Devastating Danger,” according to the Associated Press. “The world is scary enough. You need a safe place.”
The rationale for Blakeman’s executive order stems from his efforts to ensure that female athletes have fair competition in their respective sports. Blakeman spoke with Caitlyn Jenner, the 1976 Olympic gold medalist in the men’s decathlon before her gender transition, at a press conference to support the ban.
Members of the Long Island Roller Rebels practice their skills at United Skating of America on March 19, 2023 in Seaford, New York. (AP Photo/Gina Moon)
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The issue of trans women in women’s sports adds to the national debate surrounding one of sports’ most controversial topics.
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