Nikki Hiltz, a prominent American Olympic runner who identifies as transgender nonbinary, shared their views on the recent Supreme Court ruling concerning transgender athletes. The court ruled 6-3 in favor of West Virginia and Idaho, supporting state laws that require student-athletes to participate in sports teams matching their biological sex at birth rather than their gender identity.
The lawsuits, filed by trans athletes seeking access to girls’ sports, were backed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Cooley Legal, while the states received support from the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
“I wasn’t surprised, but I was obviously still disappointed,” Hiltz expressed when asked about the ruling. “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’s reaction follows their successful performance at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, where they won the mile race with a time of 4:17.49. Reflecting on the situation, Hiltz commented on the complex times faced by various communities in the U.S.
The Supreme Court decision related to cases West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox, upholding state laws demanding student-athletes compete based on birth-assigned biological sex. This decision enables over half of U.S. states to enforce laws protecting women’s sports without fear of legal disputes.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh articulated the court’s position by affirming that states can enforce women’s sports eligibility based on biological sex, aligning with principles of Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause.
Despite the ruling, 23 states, including California, New York, and Massachusetts, do not enforce such laws, and some even have laws protecting trans athletes in girls’ sports.
Nikki Hiltz has consistently competed in women’s races and has opened up about their gender identity publicly. According to Hiltz, their gender identity is fluid, describing it as occasionally identifying as a powerful queen, sometimes as a guy, and other times entirely outside the gender binary.