A female fencer was disqualified from a tournament after refusing to compete against a transgender opponent.
USA fencer Stephanie Turner was set to face Redmond Sullivan at the Cherry Blossom tournament at the University of Maryland. As the match was about to begin, Turner took a knee and removed her mask in protest. She was then given a black card, which meant she was immediately disqualified and suspended from the rest of the competition.
Turner had already competed in four matches before she was scheduled to face Sullivan, who later finished 24th out of 39 participants. Explaining her decision, Turner told Fox News Digital that she had planned her protest after seeing the match lineup.
She stated that USA Fencing had not been listening to women’s concerns, so she decided to take a stand. As she took a knee, she told the referee, “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 understand what was happening and approached Turner to ask if she was okay. Turner responded that she had respect for Sullivan but would not compete against her.
After the incident, USA Fencing released a statement in support of transgender participation. The organization said its 2023 policy was created to make fencing more accessible and inclusive.
They acknowledged that discussions on transgender participation in sports are ongoing, but they remain committed to inclusion. USA Fencing stated that Turner’s disqualification was not due to her views but because she refused to compete against an eligible opponent, which goes against the International Fencing Federation’s rules.
Sullivan had previously made headlines in December after switching to her college’s women’s fencing team. She had also competed in high school track and field events.
The decision was criticized by tennis legend Martina Navratilova and the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONs). Navratilova has expressed opposition to transgender women competing in female sports, arguing that it gives them an unfair advantage.
Since then, the NCAA has updated its policies, now limiting women’s sports to student-athletes assigned female at birth.