A Long Island roller derby team is the first to challenge a Nassau County executive order banning transgender women from participating in women's sports at more than 100 county-owned venues.
The lead plaintiff is Carly Day, vice president of the Long Island Roller Rebels, a roller derby team based in Nassau County.
“It's sending the message, 'Yes, we're not safe here, we don't belong here,'” Day said in an interview with NBC New York. “That’s what makes it scary to be on Long Island.”
The team, which started in 2005 and has always welcomed people of all races, genders and orientations, will likely lose all of its practice space in Nassau County as a result of this executive order.
Blakeman's order requires sports teams, leagues, programs, and organizations seeking permission from the county's Parks and Recreation Department to select male, female, or coeducational players based on their members' “biological sex at birth.” It is mandatory to “explicitly specify'' the
The New York Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit today. Attorney Gabriela Larios said the order clearly violates New York state law.
“We have an order here that only applies to transgender women and girls, and it only applies to them because of their gender identity,” Larios said. “That is clearly prohibited by law.”
In order to comply with this order, these organizations and those who participate and operate them conduct invasive inquiries into people's gender identity, violate their privacy and bodily autonomy, and label people as transgender, according to the complaint. They say they are forced to go out. .
Pei-Sze Cheng reports that Blakeman is suing AG James over transgender sports ban.
County Executive Bruce Blakeman vows to abide by his orders and fight the New York Citizens United lawsuit and the federal lawsuit against the state attorney general. It was his response to Letitia James' cease and desist order to lift the transgender ban.
Blakeman issues this order because of transgender athletes from other states, such as Leah Thomas, the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title at the University of Pennsylvania. He said he was encouraged to do so.
“They chose to bully girls and women’s teams instead of competing with other biological males and in the co-ed leagues available in Nassau County.”
But Day says the roller derby team's focus is on belonging, not gaining a competitive advantage.
“I've played with trans women and they're the kindest people on the planet,” Day said. “They just want to play sports.”
