MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — Olympic gold medalist caitlyn jenner on Monday said it supported the order of local New York authorities. Ban on women's sports teams Prevent transgender athletes from using county-owned facilities.
The ban applies to more than 100 athletic facilities in New York City's Long Island suburbs. Jenner, speaking alongside Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in his office in Mineola, said that allowing transgender athletes like herself to compete against other women will not be possible in the years to come. He also said it would “ruin women's sports”.
“Stop it while you can,” said the reality TV star, who came out as a transgender woman in 2015.
The Long Island-based advocacy group LGBT Network called Jenner's comments a “baffling contradiction” to her identity as a transgender woman and “not only hypocritical, but harmful” to the LGBTQ community. ” he said.
“It's disheartening to see people who have experienced the hardships of marginalization become actively complicit in the oppression of others within their own communities,” the group's president, David Kilmnick, said in a statement. Stated. “Such actions only amplify voices of intolerance and undermine collective efforts towards a more inclusive society.”
Blakeman, a Republican elected in 2021, said: presidential order In February, teams, leagues and organizations seeking permits from county parks and recreation departments will be required to “explicitly specify” whether they are for male, female or co-ed athletes. Ta.
Teams designated as “female” would be denied permission if they allowed transgender athletes to participate.
The ban does not apply to men's teams that have transgender players. This includes all facilities owned by Nassau County, including ball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, swimming pools, and ice rinks.
Jenner, 74, competed against men when she won gold in the Olympic decathlon in 1976. Although she has “sympathy” for LGBTQ people and said she “understands their suffering,” she believes that allowing transgender people to compete with women serves women's interests. She argued that it would be damaging.The athlete achieved the following conditions: Title IXan act that prohibits sex discrimination in programs receiving federal funds.
“All I'm trying to do is protect women,” Jenner said Monday.
Jenner is a supporter of former President Donald Trump. enemy of voice Number of transgender athletes competing in women's sports. Born in New York, she has lived in the Los Angeles area for a long time. execution failed In 2021, he will become the governor of California as a Republican.
Blakeman argued that the ban was aimed at promoting fair play and ensuring that girls and women would not be injured if they competed against transgender women. But his executive order also covers sports where there is no physical contact between athletes, such as swimming, gymnastics, figure skating and track and field.
The executive order also takes decisions about who can play out of the league's hands and gives them to the government.
Long Island Roller Rebels, Local women's roller derby leagueasked a New York court to invalidate the county's order, saying it violated the state's anti-discrimination laws.
The New York Civil Liberties Union, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the league, said Jenner's appearance was “another shameful attempt” to target and demonize transgender women and girls. Democratic Attorney General Letitia James said Blakeman's order is “transphobic and discriminatory” and violates state law.
Blakeman is filed a lawsuit himself It asked a federal court in New York to confirm that the order was legal.
The order is part of increased restrictions on transgender people's movement across the country.Bill to ban transgender youth from participating in sports passed It has been blocked by ongoing lawsuits in some states, including 24 states.
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This article has been corrected to show Mr. Blakeman was elected in 2021, not 2022.
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Follow Philip Marcelo twitter.com/PhilMarcelo.
