Tennis legend Martina Navratilova threw US fence after a female fence took a knee when she refused to compete against a transgender athlete at an event this weekend.
Stephanie Turner made the decision not to compete against the Trans -Athlet Redmond Sullivan at Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland. Instead, she decided to take a knee. The judge treated Turner a black card that represents the most serious punishment in the sport. She told Pakinomist Digital that she was then escorted out of the event and was made to sign a document that recognizes the penalty.
The moment was viral on social media on Wednesday, and Navratilova, who has become a master of justice in women’s sports, is weighed in.
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Women’s Fence Stephanie Turner knees in protest in front of the transient athlete Redmond Sullivan. (Courtesy of icons)
“This is what happens when female athletes protest! Anyone here still thinks this is fair ??? I’m fumbling … and shame over @usafencing, shame you for doing this. How dare you throw women under Gender Bulls — Bus !!!” She wrote on X.
Former NCAA Fencer Juliana Peceli also weighed in.
“Like a retired D1 @ncaa Fencer, I was forced to compete against men who claimed to be women. Female athletes dedicate our lives to our sport only to get men to take our spots, our titles and our future,” she wrote on X.
“Kudos to the women who refuse to accept this injustice.”
US fence responded to the incident in a statement to Pakinomist Digital.
“The United States fence adopted our current transk and non-binary athlete policy in 2023. The policy was designed to expand access to fence sports and create inclusive, secure space. The policy is based on the principle that everyone should have the ability to participate in sports and was based on the available research,” the statement states.
“We respect the views on all sides and encourage our members to continue sharing them with us as the case develops. It is important for the fence community to participate in this dialogue, but we expect this conversation to be respectfully conducted, whether in our tournaments or in online space. The way to progress is by respectful discussion -based evidence.”
A spokesman for Hencing Fencing also told Pakinomist Digital that Turner was not punished for her attitude against trans -cluttering, but simply to refuse to fence.
Martina Navratilova at a joint press conference with Chris Evert on day five of the BNI Saguaros WTA Finals Cancun in Cancun, Mexico, on November 2, 2023. (Susan Mullane-USA Today Sports)
Women’s fence opens up to refuse to meet transsexual opponent, accept punishment and setback
“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 refuse to fence a qualified opponent that the FIE rules clearly ban,” the spokesman said.
“According to FIE (International Hencing Federation) Technical rules, specifically Article T.113, a fence is not allowed to refuse to fence another properly entered into fence for some reason or another. According to these rules, such a rejection of disqualification and the corresponding sanctions results. This policy exists to maintain fair competition standards and preserve the sport’s integrity.”
Turner told Pakinomist Digital that she was a lifelong Democrat, but the idea of having biological men in women’s sports never sat right with her. She said she identifies herself as a “New Republican Conservative.”
Fencer Stephanie Sullivan knees in front of a US fence. (Courtesy of icons)
“I voted rode down on the ticket this year,” Turner said. “It was like waking up to the lies of the mainstream media … just to see so many of my friends have this vitreous eye while just defending this policy because their brains cannot control the possibility that their party or their attitude has been wrong with this, and maybe this is not a civil rights movement and they have been misled.”
