US fence has come under fire after a viral video of women’s fence Stephanie Turner kneeling in protest against a trans -damper opponent.
Prominent figures, including JK Rowling and Martina Navratilova, have weighed on social media along with thousands of women’s sports rights activists.
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Fencer Stephanie Sullivan knees in front of a US fence. (Courtesy of icons)
The United States fence related to the controversy with a public statement on Thursday and defended its trans-inclusion policies.
“The US Fence remains obliged to promote an inclusive, respectful society for everyone in our sport. We believe in the principle of creating a safe society where all athletes and members of the community have a place,” the statement reads.
“While we understand that there are a number of perspectives, US hencing will continue to engage in respectful, research-based dialogue and review as the policy develops in the Olympic and Paralympic movement as well as domestic law, hatred of any kind is not acceptable-in personal or personal. Let us keep the conversation respectful and strip that is welcome.”
How did USA fence come to this point?
The organization first adopted its current Trans-Including Policy in 2023. It allows transnry athletes to compete in the women’s category at both junior and senior levels after completing a calendar year with testosterone oppression treatment. Evidence of compatible hormone therapy must be provided before competition, but the organization has taken further steps to prioritize its trans competitors.
In November 2022 announced that A policy To give preference when choosing host cities for national tournaments to states without laws that “harm members of LGBTQ society” and say that “does not have laws undermining women’s reproductive health.” This policy came into force in the 2023 season, the same year it changed its gender policy.
“We have heard from a number of members, including members of the board of directors and members of our elite Athlete society, asking if we will continue to place events in areas with either the anti-LGBTQ laws or the anti-abort laws in accordance with our core values as an organization,” said US Fencing CEO Phill Andrews on the policy side. “After a robust discussion with our board and our personal team, USA fences have been moved to give these states preference without these laws.”
In November 2023, the organization released a list of states that it intended to “avoid where it was possible” and the states that it flat out would not allow to host big events. The states on the list of “not allowed” were Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.
Who is Stephanie Turner? Women’s fences that kneeled to protest against opponent and ignited global consciousness
The states on the list “Avoid where possible” includes Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississipi, Mississi North Dakota, Oklaha Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.
This combination of policies preceded the influx of biological male fences competing in women’s and girls’ US fence-sanctioned events in the last two years. Some of these competitors previously competed in men’s category. In September 2023, four biological male fences, formerly competing in the men’s category, achieved the US hencing podium in the women’s category.
Turner told Pakinomist Digital that the amount of Trans competitors is even higher than that.
“In fences, personally, I see it quite often,” Turner said. “I have witnessed cross-cut fences in women’s tournaments and girls tournaments in different age categories, specifically the Y-14 (the youngest age group).”
The Trans athlete Turner refused to compete against last weekend, Redmond Sullivan, competed in men’s events until June 2023, according to Sullivan’s profile page about fence Tracker. The site shows no competitions for Sullivan from June 2023 until a return on September 28, 2024 – the athlete’s first competition in the women’s category at an event in Newtown, Connecticut. Sullivan then continued to win two gold medals, one at the Connecticut Division Junior Olympic Qualifiers on December 8 and one on the Connecticut Division Summer National Qualifiers on March 16.
This last December wrote a nonprofit -hegn organization, Fair Fencing Organization, an open letter to USA fence Board members calling for evaluation of its attitude towards several questions, including transgender’s inclusion.
“Politics aside, it’s a reasonable request to form a task force to make a deeper dive on this question in fence and create a safe space where the voices of all women are heard without ridicule and abuse,” the letter said.
Only a few days later, however, board members voted against several decisions to approve a fully-kinnable task force to reassess and revise the current trans-fun policy in an 8-3 vote. Now, after sitting against female fencing seeking protection against trans -cluttering, the United States fence is fought down in a global controversy after Turner’s viral protest.
USA fence made a statement to Pakinomist Digital that addresses the incident.
“The United States fence adopted our current transking 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 to the United States also told Pakinomist Digital Turner was not punished for her attitude against trans -cluttering, but merely for refusing to fence.
“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.”
