The Nassau County legislature voted on Monday to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in girls and women's sports at county-run facilities.
The Nassau County legislature on Long Island voted 12-5 in favor of a measure that would prohibit transgender athletes from competing in girls and women's sports at county-run facilities. The majority Republican lawmakers supported the bill, with two Democrats voting absent.
The approval represented a win for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who first introduced the measure as an executive order. However, the county's Supreme Court ruled that he didn't have the authority to introduce it as an executive order. Blakeman ended up passing it through the legislature instead.
Nassau County Bans Transgender Athletes from Girls' and Women's Sports
"I am gratified that the Republican Majority in the legislature voted in favor of this common sense measure to protect the integrity of women's sports and the safety of women participants," Blakeman said in a statement.
The measure, which covers more than 100 sites just outside New York City, requires any teams, leagues or organizations that seek a permit from the county's parks and recreation department to "expressly designate" whether they're for male, female or coed athletes.
Nassau County Bans Transgender Athletes from Girls' and Women's Sports
Any female teams or leagues will be denied permits if they allow transgender athletes to participate.
In March, Blakeman dispelled any notion that his measure was "transphobic."
"Again, this is not transphobic. It's not anti-transgender," he told Fox News Digital. "Biological males who identify themselves as transgender females can compete against other biological males, or they can compete in coed leagues. Or if they wanted to form their own league, I would be happy to find a place for them to exercise their right to have recreation and enjoy sports and athletic competition."
The passage of the measure in Nassau County comes amidst a growing debate over the participation of transgender athletes in sports. Several states have passed similar laws, while others have banned transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports altogether.
The NCAA has also taken steps to address the issue, announcing in March that it would require transgender athletes to undergo hormone therapy for one year before competing in women's sports.
The debate over transgender athletes in sports is likely to continue, as more states and organizations consider policies on the matter.
