A female fencer was disqualified from her tournament after taking a knee and refusing to compete against a transgender opponent. 

USA fencer Stephanie Turner was scheduled to face Redmond Sullivan at the Cherry Blossom tournament held at the University of Maryland.

However, as the match was about to begin, Turner took a knee and removed her mask in a protest during the Division 1A Women’s Foil event.

She was subsequently shown a black card which signifies that a player is immediately excluded from the competition and suspended for the remainder of it. 

Turner had completed four matches before facing Sullivan, who eventually placed 24th out of 39 in the competition. 

Speaking about her decision, Turner said: ‘I saw that I was going to be in a pool with Redmond, and from there I said, ‘OK, let’s do it. I’m going to take the knee’.

‘I knew what I had to do because USA Fencing had not been listening to women’s objections. I took a knee immediately at that point. Redmond [Sullivan] 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.’

‘Redmond didn’t hear me, and he comes up to me, and he thinks that I may be hurt, or he doesn’t understand what’s happening. He asks: ‘Are you OK?’ And I said: ‘I’m sorry. I have much love and respect for you, but I will not fence you.’

However, shortly afterwards, USA Fencing produced a statement in support of Sullivan and transgender participation in the sport. 

The statement read: ‘USA Fencing enacted our current transgender and non-binary athlete policy in 2023. The policy was designed to expand access to the sport of fencing and create inclusive, safe spaces. 

‘The policy is based on the principle that everyone should have the ability to participate in sports and was based upon the research available of the day.

‘We understand that the conversation on equity and inclusion pertaining to transgender participation in sport is evolving. USA Fencing will always err on the side of inclusion, and we’re committed to amending the policy as more relevant evidence-based research emerges, or as policy changes take effect in the wider Olympic and Paralympic movement.

‘We respect the viewpoints on all sides and encourage our members to continue sharing them with us as the matter evolves. It’s important for the fencing community to engage in this dialogue, but we expect this conversation to be conducted respectfully, whether at our tournaments or in online spaces. The way to progress is by respectful discussion based in evidence.

‘In the case of Stephanie Turner, her disqualification 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 [International Fencing Federation] 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.’

Transgender athlete Sullivan previously made headlines back in December after making the decision to switch to her college’s women’s team. 

It came after she competed for the girls’ teams at Daniel Hand High School in Madison, Connecticut in track and field events.

The transfer had been criticized by tennis legend Martina Navratilova and the Independent Council on Women’s Sport (ICONs).

Navratilova, who is gay, has been vocal in her opposition to allowing transgender women to compete in female sports and says they have an unfair advantage.

‘And again….’ she wrote in a post on X referencing a Reduxx report about Sullivan.

Since his inauguration, Donald Trump has signed executive orders requiring the federal government to recognize only two genders and another titled: ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.’

In the latter order, the Trump administration vowed to rescind funding to any institution that permits trans athletes to participate in female sports. The order directs the Department of Justice to make sure all government agencies enforce a ban under Trump’s interpretation of Title IX, a law against sex discrimination in education.

Since then, the NCAA has amended its policy and now limits women’s sports to student-athletes assigned female at birth.