A law effectively banning transgender girls and women from playing sports at county-run facilities on Long Island can no longer be enforced – for now
A New York appellate court ruled to halt the enforcement of the Nassau County law on Wednesday amid continuing litigation between the county government and civil rights groups who want the ban struck down.
“Litigation over this has been going on for a long time but today is the first time that an appellate court has swatted down Nassau County's transphobic policy — and that is a huge win,” said Gabriella Larios, an attorney with the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican, made national headlines when he issued an executive order in February 2024 banning trans girls and women from competing in county-sponsored sports. Although the order was struck down, the county legislature made it a law several months later and civil rights groups have been fighting the measure in court ever since.
The temporary block ordered by a state appeals court in Brooklyn can also be used to challenge a Nassau County Supreme Court judge’s decision to uphold the ban earlier this week.
Larios said there’s still a long legal battle ahead, but Wednesday’s ruling was a good sign.
“It is incredibly gratifying to have the appellate court recognize what we've been saying all along,” Larios said. “Today’s decision makes it crystal clear: A county like Nassau cannot ban trans women and girls from sports just because they are transgender.”
In a statement to Gothamist on Wednesday, Blakeman said, “Nassau County will continue to protect the integrity and safety of women’s sports.”
NYCLU filed its lawsuit on behalf of a Long Island roller derby team known as the Roller Rebels and argues that the Nassau ban violates state human rights law protecting New Yorkers from discrimination based on gender identity.
“Nassau County tried to erase members of our community from the sport they love, but we refused to let that happen,” said Curly Fry, president of the Long Island Roller Rebels, in a statement on Wednesday. “We are proud to roll forward together.”
A separate lawsuit filed by the state attorney general’s office is also still making its way through the courts.
