Off The Record
Transgender Fencer Responds to Protest — What Was Said Before Rival’s Removal
The female fencer has disclosed that her opponent threatened to disqualify her after she was eliminated from the competition for refusing to compete against a transgender competitor.
After taking a knee and leaving her match against Redmond Sullivan, a biological male, Stephanie Turner of the USA was suspended from a competition held at the University of Maryland this week.
In a statement supporting Sullivan and transgender participation in the sport, USA Fencing defended its decision to disqualify Turner in the face of social media outcry.
In the meantime, Turner has criticized the governing body for “not listening to women’s objections” regarding competing against a trans opponent.
In an interview with Fox News, the fencing star also disclosed that Sullivan told her that if she took a knee and refused to confront her, she would be “blackcarded.”
‘Redmond tells 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 blackcarded,” and I said, “I know,” ‘ Turner said.
She also described how her protest originally perplexed Sullivan.
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,” Turner said.
“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.”‘
The decision by USA Fencing to disqualify Turner and let Sullivan continue to compete, finishing 24th out of 39, has caused a stir on social media.
However, once the fencer declined to compete against an “eligible opponent,” the governing body maintained that it was merely following protocol.
Its 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 value the opinions expressed by all parties and invite our members to keep doing so as the situation develops. It’s critical that the fencing community has this discussion, but whether it takes place at our contests or online, we expect it to remain civil. Respectful dialogue supported by facts is the best way to advance.
Stephanie Turner’s disqualification in this instance was solely due to her choice to refuse to fence an eligible opponent, which is expressly forbidden by FIE [International Fencing Federation] regulations. It had nothing to do with any personal remarks.
“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.”
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