New York attorney general Letitia James sent a cease-and-desist notification to a state county official on Friday, demanding the removal of a new executive order that bans transgender individuals from participating in women’s and girls’ sports.
In a four-page letter, James ordered Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman to rescind the trans-sports ban because it violates New York’s anti-discrimination laws. If Blakeman doesn’t repeal the executive order and send all documents explaining his decision to sign the order within five business days, James said she would pursue legal action against the county.
“The OAG vindicates the rights of all New Yorkers, including transgender New Yorkers, to be free from discrimination,” she wrote in the letter. “No New Yorker should feel unwelcome to participate in any event hosted on public property or in public facilities, including sporting events, based on a protected characteristic. The Order contravenes this State’s anti-discrimination laws and related goals of inclusivity and welcomeness to all, and it must be immediately rescinded.”
The executive order, signed into law on February 22, prevents transgender athletes or teams with transgender athletes from using Nassau County’s sports facilities. More specifically, it does this by restricting the issue of permits from the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Museums to any women’s or girls’ sports team that includes one or more transgender players on its roster.
The order affects over 100 sports venues in the county, Blakeman said at a press conference last week when he announced the law.
“What we are saying here today with our executive order is that 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 in those leagues,” he told reporters.
James said this is in clear violation of New York’s Human and Civil Rights Laws, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, or expression. In a statement accompanying the cease-and-desist letter, the New York attorney general called the executive order “transphobic and blatantly illegal.”
“The law is perfectly clear: you cannot discriminate against a person because of their gender identity or expression. We have no room for hate or bigotry in New York,” James said in a press release. “This executive order is transphobic and blatantly illegal. Nassau County must immediately rescind the order, or we will not hesitate to take decisive legal action.”
Blakeman responded to the cease-and-desist order on Friday, saying he intends to keep the law in place.
“My EO stops the bullying of women and girls by transgender males who have many outlets to compete without putting the safety and security of females in danger,” Blakeman posted on X. “In Nassau, we will continue to fight for females’ right to be safe, secure, and have a level playing field to compete.”