U.S. President Donald Trump‘s words, “Women’s sports will be only for women,” didn’t resonate with members of the queer community, including Olympic finalist and three-time U.S. champion Nikki Hiltz, who took to Instagram on Thursday to clap back. “In just a couple days, I’ll be standing on the start line of a women’s race at one of the biggest indoor meets in the world and race a mile in front of a sold out crowd in New York City–and guess what?” they wrote. “I still won’t identify as a woman.”
“You can sit at your desk and sign a piece of paper and make trans athletes lives far more difficult than necessary but you will never erase our existence or our joy,” Hiltz wrote in their post. “This executive order largely targets trans women and even though that’s not my identity, I fully support and stand with any trans person competing in sports. We belong. I hope I can be a small beacon of hope as well as a form of resistance this weekend at the Millrose Games for all trans athletes.”
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Hiltz, whose pronouns are they/them, identifies as trans non-binary, and is known for using their platform to advocate for transgender rights and inclusivity in sport. They live in Flagstaff, Ariz., with their partner, Emma Gee, who hosts The Queer Athlete Podcast. Together, the couple has substantially increased visibility for LGBTQ+ members in the running community; Hiltz has amassed nearly 250,000 followers across their social media platforms.
At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Hiltz made history by becoming the first openly trans or non-binary person to compete in the women’s 1,500m Olympic final. In 2020, they founded the annual Pride 5K, which raises awareness and funds for LGBTQ+ non-profit organizations.
Hiltz set the American record in the mile in 2023, running 4:16.35 in the same race where Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon set the world record of 4:07.64. They went on to take silver at last year’s World Indoor Championships 1,500m, and won the U.S. Olympic trials to secure their spot on the Paris 2024 team.
Last weekend, Hiltz opened their season with a 3,000m personal best of 8:32.52 at the Boston Terrier Invitational at Boston University. They will be competing in Saturday’s prestigious Wanamaker Mile at the 117th Millrose Games set for the Armory in New York City.
