The organizers of a Maryland fencing tournament disqualified female athlete Stephanie Turner last weekend because she refused to compete against the male opponent she was matched up against.
Redmond Sullivan, a male fencer at Wagner College who identifies as transgender, participated in the Division 1A Women’s Foil event at the Cherry Blossom tournament at the University of Maryland. Sullivan competed against men until October 2023, when he decided to begin competing against women.
When Turner, who competes for the Fencing Academy of Philadelphia, saw her opponent was male, she took a knee.
Turner was then issued a black card, which can be administered for unsportsmanlike conduct, disruptive behavior, deliberate physical violence, verbal threats, or cheating.
“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 rules clearly prohibit,” Bryan Wendell, the director of communications for USA Fencing, told The Daily Wire.
“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.”
A video of Sullivan and Turner’s matchup went viral after the Independent Council on Women’s Sports posted it Wednesday.
USA Fencing adopted a transgender and nonbinary policy in 2023 that allows athletes “to participate in USA Fencing sanctioned events in a manner consistent with their gender identity/ expression, regardless of the gender associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.”
Although the organization permits men to compete against women, USA Fencing says on its website that “safety of our fencers is a top priority.”
Transgender and nonbinary athletes can compete in the gender category with which they identify in youth events without restriction, USA Fencing guidelines say. Transgender athletes who compete in national ranking competitions, however, must adhere to certain requirements.
In national ranking competitions, females who identify as male and are being treated with testosterone are banned from competing in women’s events. Males who identify as female “may only compete in women’s events after completing one calendar year (12 months) of testosterone suppression treatment.”
“We understand that the conversation on equity and inclusion pertaining to transgender participation in sport is evolving,” USA Fencing said. “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 & Paralympic movement.”
“We respect the viewpoints on all sides and encourage our members to continue sharing them with us as the matter evolves,” the organization continued. “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.”