Nassau County executive suing to keep transgender athletes out of women's sports
MINEOLA, N.Y. -- Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said Wednesday he's filing a federal lawsuit against State Attorney General Letitia James.
It comes after James demanded Blakeman rescind a ban on transgender athletes from participating in women's and girls' teams at county-run sports facilities.
The order specifically requires any sports teams, leagues, programs or organizations seeking a permit to expressly designate whether they are male, female or co-ed based on their members' biological sex at birth.
James has called the ban discriminatory and transphobic.
Blakeman on Wednesday said he is trying to protect the integrity of sports.
"What they are trying to do, the people who are trying to inject biological males into female competition, is destroy women's and girls' sports and that is a protected class under federal law," Blakeman said.
The order, which went into effect immediately, impacts more than 100 sites across Nassau County.
Transgender rights and civil liberties groups have called the ban unnecessary and hurtful toward already marginalized people.