Woman fencer disqualified from tournament for refusing to compete against transgender man
Stephanie Turner, 31, knelt in protest rather than face Redmond Sullivan.
Stephanie Turner kneels during the tournament
A woman fencer was kicked out of a fencing tournament for refusing to compete against a biological man at the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland. The action was taken by USA Fencing, the sport's national governing body.
Stephanie Turner, 31, kneeled in protest rather than face Redmond Sullivan.
"After receiving a black card for refusing to compete against a man, she was expelled from the USA Fencing event at the University of Maryland over the weekend," the Independent Council on Women's Sports reported on its X account.
">🤺🚨Historic Protest: Female Fencer Takes a Knee in Bout Against Male Opponent, Faces Immediate Disqualification
— ICONS (@icons_women) April 2, 2025
After receiving a black card for refusing to compete against a man, Redmond Sullivan's female opponent was expelled from the @USAFencing event at the Univ. of… pic.twitter.com/IloSnrb2Iu
"I'm a woman, and this is a man"
After the moment went viral on social media, Turner explained that she made the decision to protest because USA Fencing ignored, in her view, the objections of biological women regarding its gender eligibility policy.
She recalled, in an interview with Fox News, that when she knelt down and was approached by the referee she stated the reason for her refusal to continue the competition: "‘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."
She further explained that she was then approached by Sullivan because she didn't understand what was going on. Turner was answered by his opponent, "I'm sorry. I love you and respect you very much, but I'm not going to fence with you."
"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 blackcarded,’ and I said, 'I know,'" Turner detailed.
Meanwhile, after the news broke, a spokesman for USA Fencing assured that Turner's suspension was given for refusing to compete with the man:
"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," the spokesman said.
USA Fencing defends itself
"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," the statement said.
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