Transgender athletes in one New York county will now be facing a ban as Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman announced on Thursday that a new executive order will prevent transgender athletes from competing in girl’s or women’s sports leagues throughout the country or at county facilities.
Blakeman announced the decision in a press conference, marking yet another legal hurdle for transgender athletes in the United States.
“What we are saying here today with our executive order is that if a league or team identifies themselves or advertises themselves to be a girls or women’s league or team, then biological males should not be competing in those leagues,” Blakeman said
Blakeman said that transgender athletes will still be allowed to compete on boys or coed leagues in the county, but they will be excluded from competing on girl’s and women’s teams.
“This is not precluding anybody from participating in sports,” Blakeman said. “What it is, it’s identifying that there are women and girls who spend a tremendous amount of time and effort to excel and compete in their sports that are women’s sports…. And it is an unfair advantage for someone who is a biological male to compete against a biological female.”
The executive order is effective immediately.
