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Women’s Fencer Stephanie Turner thought she “destroyed her life” when she chose to kneel in protest against a transgender competitor at a US fence event at the end of March.
But after almost four months, a congressional hearing on the subject and now, a revision in Team US’s transsexual participation policy that emerged on Tuesday, Turner says she “absolutely” would do it all again.
The American Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USAPC) updated its policies on Tuesday to suggest that it will comply with President Donald Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order.
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“This has caused so much of an obstacle to my life personally, and it has caused me so much emotional turmoil that I am just so glad that this is over and that there are many women and girls out there who are highly appreciated by this victory,” Turner told Pakinomist Digital.
“I just have to say thank you [to Trump]. I voted for him and this was a huge reason why I voted for him. And to see him get through for me and for women and girls as soon as his administration, I just mean, it’s a huge victory. I have never seen politics work to my advantage immediately, effective, effective. … I’m just so grateful for the executive order. ”
Still, Turner said the change that takes as long as it did is “disappointing” to her.
For Turner, a former long -time Democrat and Maryland -in 2024, Trump was the first Republican in 2024 she has voted for. She says she “shakes” to think where she would be if she and other former Democrats did not vote for Trump in 2024.
Who is Stephanie Turner? Women’s fences that kneeled to protest against opponent and ignited global consciousness
Still, Turner and her support group are calling for further measures from the USAPC following the recent political change.
The Independent Council on Women’s Sports (Icons), the Tender Group, representing Turner, released a statement Tuesday that called for mandatory sex screening for all women’s athletes to enforce Trump’s executive order effectively.
“The next critical step is that the USAPC should implement sex screening protocols. This will ensure that women are guaranteed equal, fair and secure opportunities in athletic competition. Icons will not rest before any girl, at all levels, in every sport has access to fair competition and privacy in changing rooms,” the statement states.
“The United States has a chance to be a leader in standing up for the fair treatment of women all over the world.”
Turner also calls for mandatory testing.
“Enforcement of this policy will be important,” Turner said. Turner pointed to karyotyping, a test that examines the chromosomes in a sample of cells, as a necessary form of testing.
“You can’t rely on documentation anymore. You can’t trust driver’s license (s), you can’t trust birth certificates because they all can be edited,” Turner said.
Turner helped to ignite a snake of setbacks against one of the USAPC’s most important governing bodies, the United States fence when she released footage of her viral protest in April.
Turner was disqualified and got a black card for her refusal to face the trans opponent, which got the setback against US fence.
The controversy was then the subject of a federal consultation 7 May. Turner testified against the United States fence stool Damien Lehfeldt at Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Sub -Committee Consultation, “Unmistaker: To Keep Men Out of Women’s Sports.”
At the beginning of June, the USA hencing’s board voted to change its previous policy that Priority States With LGBTQ-friendly laws for host sites for competitions and a policy that may have prevented the game by National Anthem at some events. Both of these policies were very much criticized in the wake of Turner’s viral protest.
Then, the next week, two US fence directors filed a lawsuit against the other six major members, claiming that Lehfeldt made false statements to Congress during the hearing on May 7. The applicants, Andrey Geva and Abdel Salem, each have long ties to the sport and the organization, former coaching or competing for Team USA.
This week, USA hencing became one of the first organizations to publish an official announcement referring to USAPC’s new policy.
On July 18, 2025, the U.SOPC released new guidelines for athletes security that all national governing bodies must follow under a federal executive order issued by the president earlier this year.
For Turner, her commitment to the question in her home state of Maryland began this past weekend in March when she was matched against the transient opponent, Redmond Sullivan, at the Cherry Blossom Open.
When Turner kneeled in front of Sullivan, she says she said to Sullivan, “I have a lot of love and respect for you, but I will not fence you.”
Now, as she reflects on the question, Turner has a message she would give Sullivan after Tuesday’s news.
“I hope he understands that what he was doing was cheating and it wasn’t fair to women and girls. I also want him to know that I didn’t hate him personally. This was never about him and me. This was really about the question and current politics,” Turner said.
“And if I’m angry with someone, I’m angry with his opportunities and the people who have allowed this policy to continue for so long.”
