Nikki Hiltz Response to Supreme Court Ruling

Nikki Hiltz, an American Olympic runner who identifies as transgender nonbinary, responded to the recent Supreme Court decision concerning transgender athletes. On Tuesday, the court ruled 6-3 in favor of West Virginia and Idaho, supporting their stance against allowing trans athletes to participate in girls’ sports. The states received backing from the law firm Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), while the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Cooley Legal represented the trans athletes.

During the US Olympic Team Trials at Hayward Field on June 30, 2024, Hiltz achieved a meet record of 3:55.33 in the women’s 1,500m event. Following the ruling in the cases of West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox, the court upheld state laws requiring athletes to compete based on their biological sex at birth, not their gender identity.

Hiltz, who competed at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, winning the mile race with a time of 4:17.49, expressed their reaction. “I wasn’t surprised, but I was obviously still disappointed,” Hiltz stated to The Athletic. “For me, I want to show that trans people can be in sport and be affirmed in their gender. We’re not these big, scary things.” Hiltz also noted, “It’s a really weird time in our country for a lot of different communities, mine specifically.”

In the past, Hiltz has shared thoughts on gender identity. “The best way I can explain my gender is as fluid,” they 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.”

Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored the Supreme Court opinion. “Consistent with Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause, we hold that the States may maintain women’s and girls’ sports for biological females. They may determine eligibility for women’s and girls’ sports based on biological sex,” the opinion stated.

As a result, more than half of the U.S. states gained authority to enforce protection of women’s sports without facing legal challenges. However, there are 23 states, including California, New York, and Massachusetts, without such laws, and some have legislation protecting trans athletes in girls’ sports.