Non-binary runner Nikki Hiltz slams Olympics trans ban: ‘So stupid’
Nikki Hiltz (Getty Images)
Non-binary track star Nikki Hiltz has called out the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recent ban on trans women participating in Olympic female categories.
The IOC announced the ban on 26 March, sharing that eligibility for female sporting events will be determined by one-time gene-screening sex tests. The committee said the new policy will “ensure fairness and protect safety, particularly in contact sports”.
Hiltz took to Instagram on 26 March to criticise the decision. “Attacks on trans people have consistently led to more policing and regulation of ALL women’s bodies,” they wrote. “Everyone is hurt by transphobia.”
Under the new policy, any athlete found to have the SRY gene, which is found in Y chromosomes, will be deemed not “biologically female” and therefore ineligible to compete in the women’s categories. The eligibility criteria will also apply to intersex athletes that have gone through male puberty.
“Y’all already know where I stand on this but this policy is so f****** stupid and is not solving a problem that exists,” Hiltz continued.
“I don’t know who needs to hear this but ZERO trans women competed in the Paris Olympics. Only ONE trans woman weightlifter competed in Tokyo 2021 and she did not win a medal. Can we please stop obsessing over trans people? And [I don’t know] maybe focus our time, energy, and resources into real problems women’s sports face?”
Nikki Hiltz is a celebrated American middle-distance runner and a vocal advocate for trans rights. In 2021, they came out as trans in celebration of International Transgender Day of Visibility.
Speaking on the ban, IOC President Kirsty Coventry said: “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition.”
She shared that the new policy was “based on science and has been led by medical experts”.
“At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat,” she said. “So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
Coventry continued: “Every athlete must be treated with dignity and respect, and athletes will need to be screened only once in their lifetime. There must be clear education around the process and counselling available, alongside expert medical advice.”
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