State appeals court freezes Nassau County’s ban on transgender athletes —Blakeman vows to keep enforcing controversial law

A state appellate court has halted Nassau County’s prohibition on transgender athletes participating in women’s sports at county-owned venues—just days after a prior judgment upheld the contentious legislation.

The preliminary injunction prevents Nassau from enforcing the prohibition during the appeals process; however, county officials have indicated they intend to disregard the ruling issued on Wednesday.

“Nassau County is committed to safeguarding the integrity and safety of women’s sports,” declared Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman when speaking to The Post.

County Attorney Thomas Adams dismissed the appeals ruling as “moot,” since it arrived following a judge’s dismissal of the case.

Legal representatives for the state and the New York Civil Liberties Union, however, contended that the appellate court’s ruling is binding and reinstates the case previously dismissed—suggesting Nassau could face legal repercussions if they persist in enforcing the ban.

“The appellate court made it abundantly clear that any attempt to bar trans women and girls from sports contravenes our state’s antidiscrimination statutes,” remarked NYCLU attorney Gabriella Larios.

This ruling followed state Justice Bruce Cozzens’ confirmation last Monday, which upheld Nassau’s ban.

A lawsuit filed by the Long Island Roller Rebels—a women’s roller derby league inclusive of transgender athletes—saw Cozzens assert that the law does not prevent transgender competitors from asserting their identity on county property, nor restrict restroom use according to one’s biological sex, stating that the law was intended to “protect women and girls.”

Merely two days later, the state’s appellate division acknowledged the potential for the Roller Rebels—represented by the NYCLU—to incur “irreparable harm” if the ban remained active during the ongoing appeal.

The judicial panel of four judges indicated that mandating the Roller Rebels to redefine as a co-ed group “would alter the identity of the league” and compromise its capacity to compete against other women’s teams, maintain its affiliation with its governing body, and foster growth as an organization.

This ban impacts over 100 public facilities and pertains to adult recreational leagues within Nassau, a county that is home to nearly 1.4 million residents, situated just east of Queens.

The controversial legislation was enacted by the Republican-led Nassau Legislature in June 2024.

The date for the next court hearing has not yet been announced in this ongoing case.