'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Long Island Nassau County has banned transgender athletes from competing in women's and girls' sports at its facilities. Bruce Blakeman, the executive of Nassau County cited the decision as an effort to combat "bullying" by people who identify as males.
As per sources like CBS News, on Thursday, February 22, 2024, Blakeman stated that these players will not be permitted to participate in such sports leagues or teams at government facilities going forward due to the formal executive order made.
The announcement represented the most recent limitation on transgender athletes' ability to compete in sports due to their gender identity in the US. According to CNN, during a news conference on Thursday, Blakeman stated:
“There are men’s and boys’ leagues, there are women’s and girls’ leagues, and there are coed leagues.”
On the other hand, once the news was made viral on social networking platforms like X, people took to the comment section of the post to react to the announcement.
Netizens react as Nassau County bans transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports
On Thursday, February 22, 2024, Bruce Blakeman declared that he would prohibit transgender athletes from participating in competitions that correspond to their gender identity within county-owned venues through an executive order.
According to CNN, Blakerman went on to say that transgender athletes are still permitted to participate in co-ed or all-boys leagues in the county. He stated:
“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.”
On the other hand, according to NY Post, Blakerman also stated:
“There is too much bullying going on of biological males trying to inject themselves in women and female sports and we will not tolerate that in Nassau County.”
Meanwhile, once the order’s announcement was uploaded on X, it garnered reactions from netizens. They took to the platform and under the comment section of @CrimeInNYC to express their opinions. They mostly applauded the decision, with some people claiming that these trans athletes need their own competition.
What did the executive order state?
According to NBC New York, the executive order prohibits transgender athletes from competing against females in any of the 100 sports facilities managed by Nassau County, including ice rinks and ball fields. It's thought to be the first county-wide prohibition against transgender athletes in American history.
Furthermore, according to ABC7 News, when applying for a "use and occupancy" permit at a Nassau County Parks property, sports leagues, organizations, teams, and other entities in Long Island County are required to specifically designate teams based on the gender assigned to the athlete at birth. This applies to sporting competitions or events on any level.
On the other hand, as per CBS News, Blakeman stated that male trans athletes are allowed to compete on all-male teams. He also stated that he values fairness in all situations. He said:
"A biological male is bigger, stronger and faster than a biological female. For a biological male to compete versus a biological female in tennis or basketball or golf is unfair.”
However, the Nassau County executive made it clear that his directive exclusively pertains to competitive sports for women and has nothing to do with co-ed sports.
However, he did make it clear that no tournament or event that invites transsexual women or girls to participate in women's or girls' sports will be granted a permit. On the other hand, the rule permits transsexual boys and men to participate in men's and boys' competitions.
Blakeman or any other representative from the county has not provided any further information regarding the entire incident.
Obsessed with Crosswords, Wordle, and other word games? Take our quick survey and let us get to know you better!
