Long Island politician BANS transgender athletes from competing in girls sports

Long Island's Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced a first of its kind ban on transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports at county-run facilities.

The ban will prohibit transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports at county-run facilities.

Blakeman said the executive order will go into effect immediately and only applies to female competitive sports, including at the college level.

The ban will not apply to co-ed sports or in cases where a biological female wishes to compete against males.

'There is a movement for biological males to bully their way into competing in sports or leagues or teams that identify themselves as or advertise themselves as girls or female,' Blakeman said a Thursday press conference announcing the measure for the Long Island county. 

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced a first of its kind ban on transgender athletes from competing in girls sports at county-run facilities

Blakeman said the executive order will go into effect immediately and only applies to female competitive sports

'It's a form of bullying. Biological males whether they identify themselves as transgender or not have sport outlets here in Nassau county where they can compete,' the executive said

'It's a form of bullying. Biological males whether they identify themselves as transgender or not have sport outlets here in Nassau county where they can compete.'

Blakeman officially announced the order at a press conference with female athletes and Kim Russell, the former lacrosse coach at Oberlin College in Ohio, who spoke out against transgender athletes.

'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,' he said.

'This is not precluding anybody from participating in sports, 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.'

The New York LGBT Network told WABC the order is illegal.

'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,' said Dr. David Kilmnick, the group's president and founder said.

'This discriminatory move not only undermines the principles of inclusivity and fairness but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes and exclusion.'

Blakeman said he had been considering the order for months and he created the ban after speaking with his legal department. 

'I know of no policy in the state right now that would strike that down,' he said.

'We know approximately how many people identify themselves as transgender here in Nassau County... and we welcome them, here in Nassau County, to participate in sports and everything else we have to offer, just not on teams that identify themselves as a girls team or women's team.'

The ban will not apply to co-ed sports or in cases where a biological female wishes to compete against males

Blakeman officially announced the order at a press conference with female athletes and Kim Russell (pictured), the former lacrosse coach at Oberlin College in Ohio who spoke out against transgender athletes

Blakeman said he had been considering the order for months and that the ban is legal. 'I know of no policy in the state right now that would strike that down,' he said

The county executive referenced incidents of biological male athletes injuring female players, but said he is not aware of any similar incidents in Nassau County.

'We are not aware of any incidents in Nassau County, but we wanted to get ahead of the curve,' Blakeman said.

On February 8, a Massachusetts high school girls' basketball team was forced to forfeit its game after a transgender player on the opposing team injured three players.

Collegiate Charter School of Lowell Girls' Basketball team dropped out of their match against KIPP Massachusetts after one of KIPP's players, who is a biological male, injured three of their athletes.

Shocking video from the game shows the taller, bulkier transgender player ripping the ball from another players arms, forcing her to fall.

A North Carolina girls high school basketball player was seriously injury after a transgender girl lobbed a ball at her opponent, striking her in the head.

Payton McNabb of Cherokee County, said that she suffered a concussion and neck injury in November 2022 after a transgender opponent spiked a ball that hit her in the face.