Top Adams athletics aide voices support for Trump trans sports ban despite city policy saying opposite

Mayor Eric Adams’ top city athletics aide voiced support for President Trump’s ban on trans athletes in women’s sports — despite City Hall’s policy still allowing for students to compete in whichever gender division they want.“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,” said Jasmine Ray, the Mayor’s Office of Sports, Wellness and Recreation director, in an Instagram post obtained by Gothamist.Ray — whose office organizes athletics initiatives, with a heavy focus on youth sports — paired her post with a screenshot of Trump’s Feb.6 TruthSocial post announcing his trans ban, which celebrated the NCAA updating their policy while expressing hope other sports bodies would soon follow suit.Her post, however, flew in the face of the city’s still-standing position — which allows students to participate in sports based on their gender “asserted at school” — and left many unclear.“This is exactly why so many New Yorkers are confused about what’s happening,” Brooklyn City Councilwoman Crystal Hudson told Gothamist.“The mayor is saying one thing, administrators are saying another thing, and the actual law says something else altogether.”The Adams aide — who was appointed in 2022 — later backtracked and removed the post, saying it was “inappropriate” to have used her title since it reflected her personal views.“I take full responsibility for the error in judgment,” she said in a statement to Gothamist.

“I am committed to maintaining the separation between my personal beliefs and my professional responsibilities.”The Mayor’s Office of Sports, Wellness and Recreation does not list anything about the LGBTQ community on its website, but describes itself as dedicated to enhancing “equitable access to competitive sports programs.”“By prioritizing equitable access, we aim to ensure that all ind...