The female fencer who was disqualified for refusing to face a trans athlete has revealed her opponent warned her that she would be thrown out of the tournament.
USA’s Stephanie Turner was suspended from a competition at the University of Maryland this week after taking a knee and walking out of her match against Redmond Sullivan, who is a biological male.
Despite outrage on social media, USA Fencing has supported its decision to disqualify Turner in a statement backing Sullivan and transgender participation in the sport.
Turner, meanwhile, has taken aim at the governing body for ‘not listening to women’s objections’ about fighting a trans opponent.
The fencing star also revealed in an interview with Fox News that Sullivan warned her she would get ‘blackcarded’ when she took a knee and refused to face her.
‘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 recalled.
Trans fencer Redmond Sullivan (pictured) warned her opponent that she would be disqualified from a Maryland tournament before she refused to face her
USA’s Stephanie Turner took a knee and walked out of her scheduled match against Sullivan
She also explained how Sullivan was initially left confused by her protest.
‘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.”‘
Social media is in uproar over USA Fencing’s decision to disqualify Turner and allow Sullivan to go on and finish 24th out of 39 in the competition.
However, the governing body insists it was only following protocol after the fencer refused to compete against an ‘eligible opponent’.
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.
Turner was subsequently thrown out of the tournament after refusing to face the trans athlete
‘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 respect the viewpoints on all sides and encourage our members to continue sharing them with us as the matter evolves. 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.
‘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 [International Fencing Federation] rules clearly prohibit.
‘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.’
