Blakeman Readdresses Trans Athlete Ban With New Legislation

MINEOLA, NY — Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is going forward with his controversial transgender ban at sports facilities.

It comes after a judge last month struck down Blakeman's executive order to keep female transgender athletes from participating at county-run venues.

In his ruling on May 10, Judge Francis Ricigliano stated that Blakeman "acted beyond the scope of his authority as the Chief Executive Officer of Nassau County."

Blakeman was holding a news conference on Friday to announce new legislation aimed at "banning biological males from competing in women’s sports at county facilities," a spokesperson for Blakeman said in a release. "This legislation will codify the County Executive’s recent executive order into county law."

While the New York Civil Liberties Union has not reviewed the legislative text yet, "It is abundantly clear that any attempt to ban transgender girls and women from participating in girls’ and women’s sports is prohibited by our state’s anti-discrimination law," NYCLU Staff Attorney Gabriella Larios said in a statement. "It was true when we successfully struck down County Executive Blakeman’s transphobic policy and it is true now. If the Nassau County legislature continues to push forward on such harmful legislation, we will see them in court."

The new policy also faces backlash from one of its harshest critics, the LGBT Network.

"This proposed policy is ill-informed, unnecessary, discriminatory and remains illegal under New York state law," president David Kilmnick said.

Blakeman first signed an executive order banning trans athletes in February and he was almost immediately caught in a legal battle with state Attorney General Letitia James, who filed a cease- and-desist. Blakeman countered with his own lawsuit against James, which led to the judge's decision last month.

While James didn't directly respond to a comment about the new legislation, her office pointed Patch to a pair of previous news releases, including remarks on March 1.

"Blakeman [needs to] immediately rescind his discriminatory and transphobic executive order that illegally banned transgender women and girls from participating in women’s and girls’ teams at county-run sports facilities," James said.

Legislative Minority Leader Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton is joining on outraged politicans.

"In light of the recent actions by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and the Nassau County Republican Legislature regarding the transgender community, it is crucial to remind everyone that the New York State Attorney General has already deemed this proposal blatantly illegal," she said. "The residents of Nassau County have been burdened with a county executive more focused on stirring up controversy and diverting attention from real issues."