Judge Says New York County Can't Enforce Order On Trans Athletes Competing Against Women

A federal judge has ruled that officials in Nassau County, New York aren't allowed to enforce a policy aimed at protecting girls' and women's sports at county parks and facilities.

According to Reuters, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman issued the order in February that was pretty simple. If you wanted a permit for your girls or women's team to use a county-run park or facility, members of the team had to be assigned female at birth.

Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman was behind an order requiring all members of girls's and women's teams to be female from birth to obtain a permit to use county-run parks and facilities. (Photo by Steve Pfost/Newsday RM via Getty Images)

Now, despite Reuters' assertion that this was one of "scores of laws, rules and regulations advanced by Republican politicians around the U.S. to regulate trans people's conduct," these restrictions don't suppress a trans person's ability to compete. There aren't any restrictions on men's or mixed teams, meaning there are ways for transgender athletes to compete.

That seems more than fair, but days after it was put in place — would you believe? — New York Attorney General Letitia James told Blakeman to cut it out with what she said was a "transphobic and blatantly illegal" order.

As we already touched on, it isn't so much an all-encompassing restriction as it is common sense that most people who aren't constantly on the lookout for political brownie points wouldn't take umbrage with it. 

READ: LONG ISLAND ROLLER DERBY LEAGUE UPSET THAT NASSAU COUNTY BANNED BIOLOGICAL MEN FROM WOMEN'S LEAGUES 

Nonetheless, Blakeman decided to play offense and sued James in US District Court. There, he asked the judge to keep James from suing the county and argued that the state anti-discrimination laws that James pointed to as her reason for the order being "blatantly illegal" unconstitutional.

Judge Nusrat Choudhury didn't see it that way. She ruled against Nassau County and an anonymous 16-year-old volleyball player who was also listed as a plaintiff saying that neither had any legal standing. 

Judge Choudhury will rule on whether or not to throw out the claim entirely later this month.

Blakeman is fighting legal battles on two fronts. He is also facing a lawsuit from a roller derby team.