Results for: Transgender Athletes

A judge has struck down Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s executive order denying park permits to women’s and girl’s teams that allow female transgender athletes to participate. Judge Francis Ricigliano ruled that Blakeman did not have the authority to issue the order, which was challenged by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and the Long Island Roller Rebels roller derby league. The NYCLU hailed the decision as a victory for trans people and said it sends a strong message that transphobic discrimination cannot stand. Blakeman dismissed the judge’s decision as one that did not address the merits of the case and said girls and women are hurt by the ruling. The issue of trans women in women’s sports is a controversial topic in sports and will continue to be debated.

Five West Virginia middle school girls who were banned from participating in track and field meets after protesting against a trans athlete have been allowed to compete again by a judge’s ruling. The judge issued a preliminary injunction preventing the school board from penalizing the student-athletes for their speech. The school board claimed the students were not penalized for protesting but for violating a team rule against scratching in an event. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey supported the plaintiffs and praised the judge’s decision. The students were initially barred from competing after a court ruling blocked the enforcement of the state’s “Save Women’s Sports Act,” which prohibited transgender girls from competing against biological girls in sports. However, a federal appeals court struck down the law, finding it violated Title IX.

Over 400 former and current athletes, including Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe, have written a letter to the NCAA urging them not to ban transgender athletes from women’s college sports. The NCAA responded that they will continue to promote Title IX and ensure fair competition for all student-athletes. The debate over transgender women’s participation in sports has been a hot-button issue, with a majority of Americans opposing their participation in teams that correspond with their birth gender.