EAST MEADOW, N.Y. (AP) 鈥 A New York judge on Friday struck down a Long Island county's order banning female transgender athletes after a local women鈥檚 roller derby league challenged it.
Judge Francis Ricigliano that Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman didn't have the authority to issue his February , which denies park permits to any women鈥檚 and girl鈥檚 teams, leagues or organizations that allow female transgender athletes to participate.
He wrote in his 13-page decision that Blakeman's order was aimed at preventing transgender women from participating in girls鈥 and women鈥檚 athletics in county parks, "despite there being no corresponding legislative enactment" providing him with such authority.
鈥淚n doing so, this Court finds the County Executive acted beyond the scope of his authority as the Chief Executive Officer of Nassau County,鈥 Ricigliano wrote.
Amanda Urena, president of the Long Island Roller Rebels, which challenged the order, said the decision sends a "strong message" against discrimination.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 decision is a victory for those who believe that transgender people have the right to participate in sports just like everyone else," Urena said in a statement. 鈥淐ounty Executive Blakeman鈥檚 order tried to punish us just because we believe in inclusion and stand against transphobia. Trans people belong everywhere, including in sports, and they will not be erased.鈥
The New York Civil Liberties Union, which filed the suit on behalf of the league, said the decision overturned a harmful policy that attempted to 鈥渟core cheap political points by peddling harmful stereotypes about transgender women and girls.鈥
Blakeman dismissed the judge鈥檚 decision as one that didn鈥檛 address the merits of the case. The ruling doesn鈥檛 delve into the civil rights arguments raised by both sides, instead focusing on the limitations of the county executive's powers.
鈥淯nfortunately girls and women are hurt by the court," he wrote in an emailed statement.
Blakeman had maintained the ban was meant to protect girls and women from getting injured if they are forced to compete against transgender women.
It impacted more than 100 athletic facilities in the densely populated county next to New York City, including ballfields, basketball and tennis courts, swimming pools and ice rinks.
But the roller derby league, in its suit, argued that the state鈥檚 human rights and civil rights statutes explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity.
The league鈥檚 lawsuit cited the state鈥檚 Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, or GENDA, as well as from the state Division of Human Rights, which confirms that public accommodations cannot deny transgender people access to programs and activities consistent with their gender identity.
The league filed suit after it applied for a permit to host a slate of games at roller rinks in various county parks this summer that it's used in previous years for practices and other events.
The Nassau County-based league, which was founded in 2005, said it welcomes 鈥渁ll transgender women, intersex women, and gender-expansive women鈥 and has at least one league member who would be prohibited from participating under the county鈥檚 order.
A federal judge, in a , rejected Blakeman鈥檚 bid to prevent the state attorney general's office from taking action against the ban after it issued a cease-and-desist letter warning him that the order violated the state鈥檚 anti-discrimination laws.
LGBTQ+ advocates say bills banning trans youth from participating in sports in 24 states.
