NYCLU Files Appeal to Challenge Nassau Trans Sports Ban 

NEW YORK – Today, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) appealed a Nassau County Supreme Court decision maintaining the county’s trans sports ban. In a January 2025 ruling in Roller Rebels v. County of Nassau et al, the Nassau County Supreme Court denied the NYCLU’s motion to block the enforcement of a local law banning transgender girls and women from participating in girls’ and women’s sports at county-run facilities, while litigation continues.  

“At a time of unprecedented attacks against trans people across the country, it is all the more important that appellate courts reaffirm that anti-trans discrimination is prohibited by New York law,” said Gabriella Larios, staff attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union. “The county court’s ruling is inconsistent with longstanding state law, which makes clear that Nassau’s ban is discriminatory. We will never stop fighting for the right of transgender girls and women to participate in sports like everyone else. We are doubling down on that commitment with this appeal.” 

The local law is substantively identical to County Executive Blakeman’s executive order, which a NYCLU lawsuit struck down in May 2024. The NYCLU lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Long Island Roller Rebels, a Nassau County recreational women’s flat track roller derby league. Under the local law, the league, which welcomes trans women, is barred from using the county facilities. The Roller Rebels were also part of the NYCLU lawsuit which struck down Blakeman’s executive order in May 2024.      

“We are more determined than ever to continue our fight against Nassau County’s cruel and transphobic law,” said Curly Fry, president of the Roller Rebels. “The trans women playing on and volunteering for our team are vital parts of our organization, and we will not let them down. This ban, which legitimizes the dangerous idea that trans women should be shut out from the public sphere, is an attack on all of us. Trans people belong everywhere, including in sports. As our legal challenge moves forward, we reiterate that our doors are open to whoever wants to join us to play.” 

The NYCLU’s appeal comes against the backdrop of Trump’s executive order purporting to ban transgender girls and women from sports in schools nationwide. That federal order does not currently impact the rights of transgender individuals in New York, both because it misstates federal law and because the state’s Human Rights and Civil Rights Law explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. Trump’s order is the latest in a series of executive orders and related policy changes – many of which are being challenged – aimed at restricting the rights of transgender people in public life. Since taking office, the administration has worked to roll back access to non-discrimination protections, health care, military service, and vital identity documents for transgender people. 

The Roller Rebels are currently organizing a series of upcoming women’s roller derby games and practices at Nassau County Parks athletic facilities. On July 15, 2024, the team submitted a permit request to host these events from August 2024 through October 2025. The request remains pending as the 2025 roller derby season is underway.  

You can find case materials here: https://www.nyclu.org/court-cases/roller-rebels-v-county-of-nassau-et-al      

###