Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has announced a proposal for a statewide ban on transgender students using girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms if he is elected governor of New York in November. Blakeman, a Republican candidate, outlined his 'Protect Our Daughters' plan, which would also prevent biological males who transition to female from sharing accommodations with girls on overnight school trips. This proposal follows the New York State Department of Education's rejection of similar restrictions previously approved by local school boards on Long Island.
Blakeman criticized Governor Kathy Hochul, stating, 'Kathy Hochul has shown time and again that she would rather satisfy a political agenda than protect our daughters’ safety, privacy, and dignity.' He pledged to enact the initiative on his first day in office, aiming to reserve girls’ bathrooms, locker rooms, and overnight accommodations exclusively for biological females.
His representatives indicated that the pledge would apply to public school students from kindergarten through 12th grade across the state. However, they did not clarify how the enforcement of such a measure would be implemented. Sources in Albany suggested that gaining support from the state Legislature, which is controlled by Democrats, would be challenging.
The New York State Education Department previously overturned rules from Locust Valley and Massapequa school boards that restricted transgender students from using facilities aligned with their gender identity. Blakeman's initiative aims to protect local school boards from state overreach and prevent potential sanctions against districts that wish to maintain these restrictions.
Blakeman stated, 'Protecting girls’ sports was the first step. Ensuring their privacy in school bathrooms, locker rooms, and on overnight field trips is the next.' He emphasized that the initiative would establish permanent safeguards statewide.
In response, a spokesperson for the state Democratic Party criticized Blakeman's plan, suggesting it was a strategy to gain attention for his campaign. A Siena College poll released on September 26 indicated that Blakeman is trailing Hochul by 9 points in the gubernatorial race, a narrower margin compared to Hochul's lead over the previous GOP candidate, Lee Zeldin, at the same time in 2022. Additionally, a Pew Research Center analysis found that nearly three-quarters of Americans oppose transgender women competing against female athletes in sports, reflecting bipartisan agreement on the issue.