A Lengthy Island County legislation banning transgender women and girls from competing in county-run sports activities services for women and girls took impact Monday.
The New York Civil Liberties Union, or NYCLU, and Legal professional Normal Letitia James filed separate lawsuits towards the measure on the identical day, each arguing that it violates state anti-discrimination legal guidelines.
The Nassau County Legislature handed the legislation final month on a 12-5 vote alongside occasion traces, and County Govt Bruce Blakeman signed it into legislation on Monday.
“I’m happy that the Republican majority within the Legislature voted in favor of this widespread sense measure to guard the integrity of ladies's sports activities and the protection of feminine contributors,” Blakeman, a Republican and Trump ally, stated after the measure handed.
Blakeman didn’t instantly return a request for additional remark.
Underneath the legislation, sports activities leagues and packages that want to reserve county-run parks or athletic services should “expressly designate” both a male crew, a feminine crew, or a blended crew primarily based on the birth-assigned gender of the crew's opponents . when requesting a allow to make use of county parks or services.
It prohibits the Nassau Division of Parks, Recreation and Museums from issuing permits to sports activities organizations that permit transgender ladies to compete on ladies's groups. Nonetheless, the legislation permits the county to grant permits to sports activities organizations that permit trans males to compete on males's groups.
The legislation is just like an government order Blakeman issued in February that was challenged by the Lengthy Island Curler Rebels, a ladies's curler derby league. A New York decide struck down the order in Could, writing that Blakeman lacked the authority to subject such an order, which might require a legislation from the county legislature.
The NYCLU, which represents the Lengthy Island Curler Rebels within the lawsuit filed Monday, stated the brand new legislation impacts about 100 sports activities services within the county and a variety of sports activities teams and groups, from private and non-private faculty sports activities groups to leagues leisure. the costume.
“To attain equal entry to services beneath native legislation, these teams – and the individuals who take part and lead them – shall be compelled to make invasive inquiries about individuals's gender id, intrude on their privateness and bodily autonomy, and “outsides” individuals as transgender,” the swimsuit argues.
Curly Fry, president of the Lengthy Island Curler Rebels, stated county lawmakers are attempting to disclaim individuals the advantages of taking part in the game, “additionally sending the message that trans individuals don't belong in Nassau County.”
“Trans individuals belong in every single place, together with in sports activities,” Fry stated in a press release. “Simply as we defeated the transphobic government order, we’ll struggle this new legislation and ensure all members of the group can be part of a sports activities crew and really feel welcome.”
Legal professional Normal Letitia James echoes among the NYCLU's arguments in her lawsuit, together with that the legislation violates state protections towards discrimination.
“By this legislation, Nassau County is as soon as once more making an attempt to exclude transgender women and girls from collaborating in sporting occasions whereas claiming to face for equity,” James stated in a press release. “The NYCLU and the Lengthy Island Curler Rebels gained their first lawsuit, and Govt Blakeman's transphobic government order was overturned as a result of it was blatantly unlawful. Now this discriminatory legislation should be too. Right here in New York, each individual has the appropriate to be precisely who they’re, with out discrimination, and my workplace will at all times defend that proper.”
Lately, half of the states have enacted legal guidelines limiting participation of trans college students at school sports activities; nonetheless, New York has not enacted such a legislation. It's unclear what number of state counties throughout the nation have adopted comparable native measures.
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