Caitlyn Jenner in Nassau County to speak in support of transgender sports ban
NASSAU COUNTY, Long Island (WABC) -- Caitlyn Jenner was in Nassau County on Monday to speak out in support of a ban on some transgender athletes.
County Executive Bruce Blakeman's executive order bans sports organizations from county-run athletic facilities if they allow transgender athletes who are born male to compete on all-women and all-girls teams.
Blakeman said that transgender athletes, born male, are bigger, faster, and stronger than female athletes. He says they can still compete if they play on all-male or co-ed teams.
The ban is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation.
Attorney General Letitia James issued a cease and desist order over the ban.
"Hey Attorney General Letitia James, if you ever have daughters, give me a call when a boy beats them for scholarships protected for them by Title IX," Jenner posted on social media last week.
Jenner, a U.S. Olympic Gold medalist, was born in Mount Kisco, New York, says she has empathy for all LGBTQ people.
But she says we are at a crossroads when it comes to how to handle transgender athletes. She said there are undeniable physical differences between the genders regardless of someone's status in transition.
Dr. David Kilmnick, President of the New York LGBT Network, said Jenner's support for the ban is "baffling."
"Caitlyn Jenner's support for anti-LGBT initiatives stands as a baffling contradiction to her own identity and the struggles she has faced as a transgender woman," Kilmnick said. "Embracing policies or ideologies that undermine the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals is not only hypocritical but also harmful. Jenner's alignment with such positions not only perpetuates discrimination but also adds fuel to the rising number of violent and hate incidents committed against transgender individuals. It is disheartening to witness someone who has experienced the challenges of being marginalized actively contribute to the oppression of others within the same community. Such actions only serve to amplify the voices of intolerance and detract from the collective efforts towards a more inclusive society.
Kilmnick went on to call for an end to Blakeman's "illegal and continued assault on the transgender community."
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