In an interview with Fox News Digital, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., touted the Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, which would prevent men and women being forced to compete against each other.
A judge in New York has struck down an order restricting transgender athletes from using county-run parks and fields in Long Island. The order, issued by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in February, denied park permits to any women’s and girl’s teams, leagues or organizations that allow female transgender athletes to participate.
Blakeman held a news conference in March with Caitlyn Jenner, the Olympic gold medalist for the men’s decathlon in 1976, who endorsed the ban. Blakeman’s reasoning for the executive order stemmed from his effort to ensure female athletes could compete in their respective sports fairly, but Judge Francis Ricigliano ruled that he didn’t have the authority to issue the order.
The league’s lawsuit was backed by the New York Civil Liberties Union, which said the decision overturned a harmful policy that attempted to “score cheap political points by peddling harmful stereotypes about transgender women and girls.”
“This is a huge victory for all trans people in Nassau, especially our plaintiffs @LIRollerRebels,” the NYCLU wrote on Twitter. “This decision sends a strong message that transphobic discrimination cannot and will not stand. We are gratified that the court saw this order for what it was: a harmful, hateful policy that has no place in New York.”
Blakeman dismissed the judge’s decision as one that didn’t address the merits of the case. The ruling doesn’t delve into the civil rights arguments raised by both sides, instead focusing on the limitations of the county executive’s powers.
“Unfortunately girls and women are hurt by the court,” he wrote in an emailed statement to The Associated Press.
The Roller Rebels were one of those teams looking for a permit for the county-owned rinks. The league allows anyone who identifies as a woman, and one transgender player is already on their roster.
State Attorney General Letitia James had previously called for Nassau County to rescind the order, saying anti-discrimination laws are being violated.
She said that Friday’s ruling is a “major victory.”
“In New York, it is illegal to discriminate against a person because of their gender identity or expression…My office will keep working to ensure every New Yorker is free to be who they are.”
The issue involving trans women in women’s sports adds to the national discussion surrounding one of the most controversial topics in sports.
