A female college fencer took a knee and refused to compete against a transgender opponent, sparking yet another firestorm in the ongoing battle over fairness in women’s sports.
Sen. @tedcruz and AG @KenPaxtonTX have announced investigations into USA Fencing following the organization’s disqualification of a female fencer who refused to compete against a biological male who “identifies” as a woman. https://t.co/GKCsuCprbu
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) April 9, 2025
Stephanie Turner made her stand during a minor tournament at the University of Maryland earlier this month, declining to face Redmond Sullivan, a biological male identifying as female. Turner argued that letting Sullivan compete against women wasn’t fair. For her protest, USA Fencing slapped Turner with a disqualification from the tournament, citing rules against refusing to face registered opponents.
The organization, sticking to its “inclusion” policy, stressed the disqualification was only for that event. This comes hot on the heels of President Trump signing an executive order and the NCAA finally acting to ban biological males from women’s college sports, defining sex based on birth records – moves blasted by LGBTQ groups but cheered by those demanding a level playing field.
USA Fencing itself has been under the microscope before. Last year, transgender fencer Liz Kocab snagged a world title, defeating a 14-time champion, fueling the debate about biological advantages.
Turner stood firm, telling officials it was about competitive fairness, even though reports indicate Sullivan actually has a lower win rate than Turner. Figures like tennis legend Martina Navratilova and author J.K. Rowling have weighed in on the latest dust-up.
USA Fencing doubled down, condemning “hate speech” and calling for “respectful discourse,” while disqualifying a female athlete for demanding fair play. The incident throws sharp relief on the clash between radical inclusion policies and the reality of biological differences in sports.
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