Nikki Hiltz, a transgender and non-binary track and field star, had plenty to say after a recent bombshell from World Athletics. They’re not staying silent on this one. So, what’s the deal? Well, Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics and a former sports legend turned politician, just announced that elite female athletes will now be required to undergo mandatory DNA testing. Yep, you heard that right. But how?

Athletes will have to take a one-time cheek swab or a dry blood-spot sample to check for the presence of a Y chromosome—something typically found in males. Coe is doubling down, saying this is all about protecting “the integrity of competition” and ensuring fairness in women’s sports. World Athletics is racing to get these tests up and running before the outdoor World Championships in September, but with regulations still in the works and no testing provider locked in yet, the clock is ticking.

But Nikki Hiltz wasn’t having any of it. They took to Instagram, shared an article link from Sky News about the new policy on their story, and didn’t hold back: “In other news of the day looks like World Athletics is going back to the 1960s and implementing mandatory s*x testing for the women’s category. This was abandoned in 1990s because it was deemed unscientific unethical invasive discriminatory and ultimately useless.” Ouch. And who can blame them? But here’s where things get messy.

These new rules will also bar athletes with differences of sex development (DSD)—those born female but who experience male puberty from competing in the women’s category. But how in 1960’s it was done. Mandatory sex testing for female athletes began in the 1960s, and it was as invasive and degrading as it sounds. The first major implementation happened before the 1966 European Athletics Championships, where the IAAF (now World Athletics) introduced mandatory “n*de parades,” where female athletes were forced to undergo physical inspections by a panel of doctors.

By 1968, this was replaced with chromosome testing, the Buccal Smear Test, where cells from the inside of the cheek were swabbed to check for the presence of a Y chromosome. But these tests were flawed and led to unfair disqualifications, most notably the case of Polish sprinter Ewa Kłobukowska, who was banned from competition in 1967 after failing a chromosome test, despite being anatomically and physiologically female. Her case exposed the inaccuracies of these procedures, eventually prompting the IOC to revise its gender verification policies, according to Olympics.com.

Here we are in 2024, and the debate is still raging. Back in 2023, World Athletics banned transgender women from competing in the female category. The conversation reignited after Trump’s recent order, keeping the issue in the spotlight. And right at the center of it all? Nikki Hiltz.

Nikki Hiltz takes a stand before the Millrose Games

Back in February, after Trump’s order banning trans athletes from women’s sports, Nikki Hiltz spoke out just before the Millrose Games, standing strong with the trans community. So, what did she do?

A few days later, on February 8, Hiltz lined up for the prestigious Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games, finishing third in an insanely tight race with a time of 4:23.50. But honestly, the biggest story wasn’t even about the race. It was about Hiltz using their platform to call out Trump’s order. When asked afterward about the emotional toll this has had on trans athletes, Hiltz didn’t sugarcoat it.

“There are a lot of people struggling right now… The trans community, specifically, is under attack. It sucks—there’s no other word for it.” They pointed out that the focus on trans athletes is wildly exaggerated, adding, “There are fewer than 10 trans athletes out of 500,000 competitors. This should not be the focus of an executive order.” Since Trump’s order, Nikki Hiltz hasn’t let up, using their voice and platform to keep fighting for trans inclusion, making it clear that this battle is far from over.