Female fencer Stephanie Turner was disqualified from the Cherry Blossom Open Tournament in Maryland after refusing to compete against her transgender opponent, Redmon Sullivan, who uses she/her pronouns.
According to the rules of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), a fencer is not permitted to deny competition against another eligible registered opponent, regardless of the reason. However, Turner, chose not to comply.
As they stepped into the piste, she removed her mask and knelt down.
“From there I said, ‘OK, let’s do it. I’m going to take the knee’,” Turner told Fox News. “Redmond was under the impression that I was going to start fencing.
“So when I took the knee, I looked at the ref and I said, ‘I’m sorry, I cannot do this. I am a woman, and this is a man, and this is a women’s tournament. And I will not fence this individual.”
Sullivan initially did not “hear” her complaints, and was under the impression that she had been hurt and approached her.
“He asked if I was OK,” Turner recalled. “I said, ‘I have love and respect for you, but I will not fence you.’”
Sullivan reminded Turner of the consequences of her decision, however Stephanie stood firm on her decision.
Turner said: “Redmond says to me, ‘Well you know, there is a member on the board of directors here who supports me, and there is a policy that acknowledges me as a woman, so I am allowed to fence, and you will get black-carded’.
“And I said, ‘I know’.”
As a result, the 31-year-old was shown the black card – which is the most severe penalty in fencing – by the referee to signal her disqualification.
Following the incident, Turner was immediately taken to the board to explain herself and was provided with a copy of the association’s transgender policy. After signing a document acknowledging her punishment, she was escorted out of the venue.
The disqualified fencer later revealed that she had made the decision a night before, upon discovering who the opponent was, saying she “knew what she had to do” going into the tournament.
Turner explained, “In previous years when I had known about transgender fencers being present, I just wouldn’t register, but for this one, Redmond must have signed up after me.”
She added, “I was like, ‘You know what, I’m just going to give it to God. If this person shows up to my event and is on my script, then I would take a knee, and that would be God’s will.’”
According to Turner, her decision came as a result of USA Fencings ignorance towards women’s objections over its gender eligibility policy.
Reinforcing their policy of inclusivity and responding to Stephanie Turner’s disqualification, the USA fencing released the following statement:
“In the case of Stephanie Turner, her disqualification, which applies to this tournament only, was not related to any personal statement but was merely the direct result of her decision to decline to fence an eligible opponent, which the FIE rules clearly prohibit.
“USA Fencing is obligated to follow the letter of those rules and ensure that participants respect the standards set at the international level. We remain committed to inclusivity within our sport while also upholding every requirement dictated by our governing body.”
In contrast, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) changed its policy after President Donald Trump signed an executive order. According to the new policy, transgender women would be denied participation in female categories of sports.
However, USA Fencing reaffirmed its position stating that it“remains committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful community for everyone.”
“We believe in the principle of creating safe communities where all athletes and community members have a place,” it stated.
“While we understand there are a range of perspectives, USA Fencing will continue to engage in respectful, research based dialogue and review as policy evokes in the Olympic & Paralympic movement as well as domestic law, hate speech or targeted hate of any kind is not acceptable – online or in person.”
Despite the criticism the “protect women’s sports” movement has received in recent years, it did not prevent Turner from standing up to what she believed was wrong.
Though fearful of backlash, she stood her ground.
“It will probably, at least for a moment, destroy my life. I don’t think that it’s going to be easy for me from now on going to fencing tournaments,” she admitted. “I don’t think it’s going to be easy for me at practice. It’s very hard for me to do this.”
Her decision was met by a host of reactions, with many defending and lauding her for her courage.
“Well done to this woman,” one user wrote.
“It’s outrageous.”
“So much for women’s rights.”
“As a fencer, I totally understand the difference between male and female power in fencing, right move,” another added.
However, a few also criticized her.
“Sounds like she’s just not a as good at fencing,” one wrote.
Turner, who identified as a Democrat in the past claims that she has always been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
However, with recent debates regarding transgender participation in women’s sports, she has come to change her political stance.
As a result, she voted red this year, now describing herself as a Republican conservative.
“I voted red down the ticket this year,” Turner shared. “It was like waking up to the lies of the mainstream media… Just to watch so many of my friends have this glassy-eyed look while just defending this policy because their brains can not manage the possibility that their party or their position has been wrong on this, and perhaps this isn’t a civil rights movement, and they have been misled.”
Turner has strongly expressed her support for President Donald Trump’s decision to cut down funding for states supporting transgender participation in women’s sports.
“Something needs to be done, and there are activists who have embedded themselves in authoritative positions in sports bodies.”
