Nikki Hiltz Reacts to Supreme Court Decisions on Transgender Athletes

American Olympic runner Nikki Hiltz, who identifies as transgender nonbinary, shared thoughts on the recent Supreme Court ruling regarding transgender athletes. The Court decided 6-3 in favor of West Virginia and Idaho, upholding state laws that require athletes to participate in sports aligning with their biological sex at birth. This decision affects trans athletes who sought access to girls’ sports, supported by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Cooley Legal, while the states received backing from the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).

In the cases West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox, the high court affirmed the state laws mandating athletic competitions based on biological sex, confirming their alignment with Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause, according to Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s opinion. Thus, over half of U.S. states can enforce these regulations without fear of legal challenges. However, 23 states, including California, New York, and Massachusetts, do not have such laws, and some even protect transgender athletes.

Hiltz, known for competing in women’s races, expressed disappointment with the ruling. In a statement to The Athletic, Hiltz noted, “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 further reflected on the current social climate, stating, “It’s a really weird time in our country for a lot of different communities, mine specifically.”

Participating in the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, Hiltz recently won the mile race, clocking a time of 4:17.49. Previously, Hiltz shared thoughts on gender identity, describing it as fluid. Hiltz wrote on Instagram, “Sometimes I wake up feeling like a powerful queen and 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.”