As some states have refused to comply with President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that bans trans athletes in girls’ and women’s sports, New York is at an impasse over the issue.
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) provided a statement to Fox News Digital saying it has advised schools to comply with current state law that allows trans athletes to compete with girls, but is gathering public input before making a final decision.
“While we await further clarification, I strongly advise that NYSPHSAA member schools continue to adhere to current New York state anti-discrimination laws, which allow students to participate on interscholastic teams that best align with their gender identity,” NYSPHSAA Executive Director Dr. Robert J. Zayas said.
“I am actively working with state officials to assess the implications of this executive order and determine appropriate next steps. Yesterday, I spoke with Dr. Betty Rosa, commissioner of the New York State Education Department (NYSED), regarding this matter. She has requested that I collect any questions or concerns from the field, which she will then discuss with the Attorney General’s Office to provide us with guidance and direction.”
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However, as Zayas advised New York schools to continue enabling trans inclusion, an official in New York City spoke out about her support for Trump’s executive order.
Director of New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ Office of Sports, Wellness and Recreation Jasmine Ray stated her position in favor of following Trump’s order on her Instagram Stories over the weekend, via Gothamist.
“To those asking about my position, as Director of NYC Sports & Rec, I stand with the recent executive order reinforcing the importance of fairness in women’s sports,” she wrote.
However, the outlet reported Ray later took down her story and says she deleted it at the “guidance” of the mayor’s chief of staff, Camille Joseph Varlack.
“I take full responsibility for the error in judgment,” Ray told Gothamist. “I am committed to maintaining the separation between my personal beliefs and my professional responsibilities.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Adams’ office for comment.
Since Trump’s order went into effect last Wednesday, multiple states and high school athletic associations have made it clear that they won’t enforce it, and will continue protecting trans athletes in girls’ sports.
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California is the most prominent.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) said it will continue to follow the state’s law that allows athletes to participate as whichever gender they identify as, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
“The CIF provides students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete in education-based experiences in compliance with California law [Education Code section 221.5. (f)] which permits students to participate in school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, consistent with the student’s gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the student’s records,” a CIF statement said.
The decision has prompted backlash and even protests and threats of lawsuits by California residents.
Minnesota and Massachusetts are among the other states that have indicated they will continue protecting trans athletes in girls’ sports.
A recent New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, do not think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women’s sports. Of the 2,128 people polled, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports.
Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.
Democratic opposition to GOP efforts to restrict trans inclusion has alienated some longtime Democrat voters. In January, when the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, all but two Democratic House members voted against it.
Prominent Democrats, including House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Vt., Rep. Suzanne Bonamic, D-Ore., Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., and Rep. Whip Clark, D-Mass., argued that the bill would “empower” child predators to give genital examinations to young girls. There was no language in the bill that suggested genital examinations would be necessary.
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The argument alienated some of the party’s loyal voters, who have unregistered as Democrats in response.
“That just made me very upset because it screamed out lack of integrity, lack of honesty,” prominent law professor and lifelong Democrat Gary Francione told Fox News Digital “This is the way you fight battles? By trying to insult other people who oppose you and disagree with and insinuate that they’re child molesters or pedophiles? It seems to me you’ve lost the game… I don’t know how they’re ever going to come back from this.”
Francione has a lifelong network of other Democrats in the field of law and other industries, and says many of them share his beliefs and will also be unregistering from the party.
“I can say confidently of the people I know who are Democrats who I’ve spoken to, the vast majority of them are very unhappy about all of this stuff and feel that the party has lost its way,” Francione said. “I know a couple who said they are going to [unregister].”
Other Democratic lawmakers have also spoken out against the party’s platform of enabling trans athletes to compete against girls and women. They include Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Reps. Colin Allred, Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar, of Texas, Rep. Mary Peltola, of Alaska, and Rep. Tom Suozzi, of New York.
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