This February in Long Island, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman issued an executive order banning transgender girls and women from participating in girls’ and women’s sports at county-run facilities. The NYCLU sued to block this policy, arguing that it violates New York’s Human Rights Law and Civil Rights Law, which explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. Justice prevailed and, in May, the Nassau County Supreme Court ruled in the NYCLU and Roller Rebels’ favor, striking down the executive order.
Then, shortly after we recorded this podcast, the Nassau County Legislature introduced legislation designed to resurrect Blakeman’s ban. The bill is slated to be voted on later in June. The NYCLU’s Nassau field office is mobilizing with other advocates to stop the bill in its tracks including organizing rallies and getting people to testify against the bill. But if it passes, the NYCLU will file another lawsuit to strike it down.
Blakeman claims Nassau’s trans ban will protect cisgender women and girls. But on this episode, we’ll explore why the order is actually a harmful, transphobic policy designed to shut trans people out of public spaces. We’ll hear from two NYCLU lawyers who brought the case, and from the president of the Long Island Roller Rebels, a team in the Nassau County Recreational Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby League. The Roller Rebels are the plaintiffs in our case. Their league, which welcomes trans women, was barred from using Nassau County’s facilities under the executive order.
Guests:
Gabriella Larios: Staff Attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union
Bobby Hodgson: NYCLU Assistant Legal Director
Curly Fry: President of the Long Island Roller Rebels
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Our campaign page for the Roller Rebels’ case: https://www.nyclu.org/resources/campaigns-actions/campaigns/stand-trans-athletes-nassau-county
Meet the Roller Rebels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRdu_h7Ww8Q&t=2s
Read about our case: https://www.nyclu.org/court-cases/roller-rebels-v-blakeman
Tell lawmakers to vote against the anti trans bill in the Nassau County Legislature: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/stop-anti-trans-hate-nassau
For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit https://www.nyclu.org/
For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit https://www.nyclu.org/ideas/podcasts
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