New York roller derby league loses bid to temporarily block ban on trans athletes

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NEW YORK (AP) — A New York roller derby league has lost its bid to temporarily block a local ban on transgender female athletes.

Nassau County Supreme Court Judge Bruce Cozzens on Tuesday denied a request by the Long Island Roller Rebels to prevent Nassau County from enforcing its ban while its lawsuit is considered by the court.

In July, local lawmakers in the suburban county east of New York City banned transgender women and girls from playing on female sports teams at the county’s roughly 100 parks and recreational facilities.

The judge determined the new law does not exclude transgender women and girls from public facilities based on their gender identities as they can still play in coed sports leagues. He said allowing transgender women to play in female sports creates additional risk of injury and potential liability for the local government.

“There can be no question (even without discovery) that a biological male regardless of transitioning would be possessed of greater athleticism and speed, strength, muscle mass, stronger hearts and greater bone density,” Cozzens wrote. “The goal of the local law is to provide a safe environment for individuals who are born female to play.”

The roller derby league and the New York Civil Liberties Union, which filed the lawsuit on the league’s behalf, said they were disappointed by the ruling and intend to appeal it while their litigation proceeds.

Gabriella Larios, a staff attorney for the NYCLU, called the judge’s ruling an “outlier” that is inconsistent with other court decisions, and state laws protecting human rights and civil rights.

“At a time of rising anti-LGBTQ+ hate and violence across the country, keeping this ban intact is not only cruel, but it is also dangerous,” added Amanda “Curly Fry” Urena, president of the Roller Rebels. “We hope that New York’s courts will ultimately strike down this unlawful ban and acknowledge it for what it is — transphobic and unjust.”

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, in a statement, applauded the decision and called it “common sense.”

The Republican had initially imposed the ban through an executive order last February, but that was struck down by the court after the roller derby league and NYCLU challenged it.

The county’s Republican-controlled Legislature then passed a local law to enshrine the ban, prompting the latest round of litigation, which also includes a legal challenge from Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James.

“They have a competitive advantage,” Blakeman said, referring to transgender athletes. “It’s unfair, and it’s also unsafe.”

The ruling comes after President Donald Trump, on his first day in office Monday, signed an executive order rolling back protections for transgender people. The order, among other things, declares that the federal government would recognize only two immutable sexes: male and female.