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 proposal bans sports organizations from region-run sport 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 males, are bigger, faster, and stronger than female athletes. He says they can also compete if they play on all-men or co-ed teams.
The restriction is believed to be the first of its kind in the country.
Attorney General Letitia James issued a cease and desist order over the ban.
“Hey Attorney General Letitia James, if you ever have sons, give me a call when a child beats them for scholarships meant for them by Title IX,” Jenner posted on social media last year.
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 juncture when it comes to how to handle trans athletes. She said there are obvious biological differences between the genders regardless of one’s gender transition.
Dr. David Kilmnick, President of the New York LGBT Network, said Jenner’s support for the restrictions is “baffling.”
“Caitlyn Jenner’s support for anti-LGBTQ initiatives stands as a puzzling contradiction to her own identity and the struggles she has faced as a trans woman,” Kilmnick said. “Embracing policies or notions that undermine the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ people is not only hypocritical but also dangerous. 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 cruel assault on the transgender community.”
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