Nassau County executive order protects women's sports
County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed an executive order on Feb. 22 to stop male athletes from competing against women and girls at county-owned facilities.
State Attorney General Letitia James called the move 'transphobic and deeply dangerous.'
A county located just outside of New York City has taken major steps to stop men from competing against women in athletic competitions.
Bruce Blakeman, county executive of Nassau County, New York, signed an executive order on Feb. 22 to prevent male athletes from competing against women and girls at county-owned facilities.
In particular, Blakeman’s executive order requires county competition organizers to designate their event as being for “Males, men, or boys,” “Females, women, or girls,” or “Coed or mixed.” The order also prevents the county from issuing permits for events whose competitors fall outside of these designations.
The move will allow transgender-identifying athletes to compete according to one’s actual sex or as a member of coed events.
The order will impact schools, colleges, and universities from hosting men’s or women’s sporting events at more than 100 county-owned competition venues, CBS News reports.
“I see no reason why a biological male has to compete versus biological females. It makes no sense,” Blakeman said during the signing of the order. “It’s a fairness issue, and frankly I interpret it as bullying on the part of biological males.”
“A biological male is bigger, stronger and faster than a biological female,” he continued. “For a biological male to compete versus a biological female in tennis or basketball or golf is unfair.’”
New Yorkers For Constitutional Freedoms, a Christian and conservative nonprofit based in New York state, praised Blakeman’s decision, saying that he “has taken a brave, outspoken stand against transgenderism in sports.”
The group writes that, “the ‘transgender’ movement is based on a lie: The lie that ‘gender identity’ is a subjective construct based not on biological sex, but on a person’s feelings.” The organization also argues that this “trendy falsehood is dangerous to young people, and it is also deeply anti-woman.”
Blakeman’s move has naturally drawn the ire of advocates for transgenderism across the state.
New York State United Teachers President Melinda Person immediately opposed the move in a post to X.
“Our kids face real challenges. This moment calls on us to support our students, reconnect them, build skills to make them career/college ready,” Person said. “This attempt to create chaos/confusion is part of a political playbook we have no time for. Kids deserve better.”
Our kids face real challenges. This moment calls on us to support our students, reconnect them, build skills to make them career/college ready. This attempt to create chaos/confusion is part of a political playbook we have no time for. Kids deserve better. https://t.co/Ss6mnckzDm
— Melinda Person 🍎✌🌈 (@MelindaJPerson) February 22, 2024
David Klimnick, president of the LGBT Network’s New York chapter, also expressed his objections to the order in a statement published the same day.
“We are profoundly disappointed in Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s announcement of an executive order aimed at banning transgender athletes from participating in sports teams that align with their gender identity,” Klimnick said. “This discriminatory move not only undermines the principles of inclusivity and fairness but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes and exclusion.”
Similarly, New York Attorney General Letitia James released a statement on Feb. 22 calling the action “transphobic and deeply dangerous.”
“In New York, we have laws that protect our beautifully diverse communities from hate and discrimination of any and every kind,” James said. “My office is charged with enforcing and upholding those laws, and we stand up to those who violate them and trespass on the rights of marginalized communities. We are reviewing our legal options.”
Campus Reform has contacted Bruce Blakeman for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.