Nikki Hiltz Responds to Supreme Court Ruling on Transgender Athletes

Nikki Hiltz, an American Olympic runner who identifies as transgender nonbinary, shared their thoughts following the Supreme Court’s decision on transgender athletes. The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, favored West Virginia and Idaho, where trans athletes challenged the restriction on their participation in girls’ sports.

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to uphold state laws that require student-athletes to compete on teams matching their biological sex at birth. This decision disappointed transgender athletes who were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Cooley Legal. Meanwhile, the states were backed by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).

Nikki Hiltz competed in the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, clinching victory in the mile race with a time of 4:17.49.

Reflecting on the court’s decision, Hiltz stated via The Athletic, “I wasn’t surprised, but I was obviously still disappointed. For me, I want to show that trans people can be in sport, be affirmed in their gender. We’re not these big, scary things.” Hiltz also observed that “It’s a really weird time in our country for a lot of different communities, mine specifically.”

Hiltz, who has consistently competed in women’s races, has openly discussed their gender identity, describing it as fluid. On Instagram, Hiltz explained, “Sometimes I wake up feeling like a powerful queen. Other days, I wake up feeling as if I’m just a guy being a dude, and other times I identify outside of the gender binary entirely.”

Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored the opinion reinforcing states’ rights to maintain women’s and girls’ sports for biological females. The opinion stated, “Consistent with Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause, we hold that the States may determine eligibility for women’s and girls’ sports based on biological sex.” This verdict allows over half of the U.S. states to enforce such protection for women’s sports without the threat of legal disputes.

Nevertheless, 23 states, including California, New York, and Massachusetts, lack such laws, and some actively protect trans athletes in girls’ sports.