A transgender athlete selected for the U.S. Olympic team sparked controversy on social media this week.
Earlier this week, transgender and non-binary runner Nikki Hiltz qualified for the U.S. Olympic team heading to the Paris Olympics later this year.
“I woke up as an Olympian,” Hiltz, who uses they/them pronouns, wrote in a social media post on Monday. “Yesterday afternoon in Eugene, Oregon, a childhood dream came true and I'm not sure when this will fully sink in…As I wake up today, I feel so grateful for my family, overwhelmed by all the love and support, and joyful that I get to race with people I love and respect so deeply on the track for work.”
In 2021, Hilts said in a social media post that the couple “came out” about their sexual orientation when they were 19 years old.
“Yesterday, at age 26, I came out about my gender identity,” Hiltz, who competed in the women's Olympic trials, wrote in a post. “Nothing feels better than the morning after coming out. This morning I'm feeling nervous, excited and grateful. All I can say is thank you. It feels so good to be noticed.”
Elaborating further on her transgender identity, they added, “This means that I do not identify with the gender I was assigned at birth. The term I currently use to describe my gender is non-binary.”
Hintz added, “The best way to describe my gender is that it's fluid. Some days I wake up feeling like a powerful queen, other days I wake up just a man, and other times I identify completely outside of the gender binary.”
Shortly after Hiltz was selected for the U.S. Olympic team, many social media users spoke out, some in support and others in criticism.
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“Please don't equate this with Leah Thomas trying to compete in the women's Olympic swimming events. This is a woman competing in the women's division. Nobody is opposed to this,” Jennifer Say, founder of XX-XY Athletics, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “The headline should be: 'Hiltz Goes to Paris.'”
As Say noted in her post, transgender female swimmer Leah Thomas previously competed in the women's division in collegiate track and field.
Meanwhile, X-user Isaac's Army said: “Nikki Hiltz, a biological male, beat out the female athletes at the Olympic Trials and will represent the United States at the Olympics…do you think that's fair…?”
The post received a community note from X, which stated that “Nikki Hiltz is reportedly biologically female,” disputing the user's claim.
Responding to Say's post, X-user Amy Nixon commented: “Have they taken testosterone in the past? What is the rule here? This athlete is built differently than the other women in the race. It was obvious to everyone.”
Newsweek The U.S. Olympic team was contacted through its website and Hilts was reached for comment via Instagram direct message.
Earlier this year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) changed its policy regarding transgender athletes.
“The framework recognises the need to ensure that everyone, regardless of gender identity or sex, can play sport in a safe, harassment-free environment where their needs and identities are recognised and respected,” the IOC said in its latest framework document.
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