At the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland last weekend, women’s fencer Stephanie Turner made headlines when she refused to compete against transgender athlete Redmond Sullivan, choosing instead to take a knee in protest.
Turner, 31, decided the night before the competition when she reviewed the brackets and discovered she would face Sullivan, whom she had previously read about in an article. “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 told Fox News Digital.
After completing four bouts earlier in the day, Turner approached her scheduled match with Sullivan feeling “nervous and shaky,” but remained committed to her decision. As the bout was set to begin, Turner immediately took a knee and addressed the referee: “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.”
According to Turner, Sullivan initially approached with concern, asking if she was okay. Turner responded, “I’m sorry. I have much love and respect for you, but I will not fence you.”
Sullivan reportedly replied, “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.” Turner acknowledged she was aware of the consequences.
Minutes later, officials issued Turner a black card – the most severe penalty in fencing, resulting in expulsion from the tournament. Turner was escorted to the bout committee, where she had to explain her actions. Officials provided her with a copy of the association’s transgender policy and required her to sign a document acknowledging the black card, which Turner says she signed “under objection” before being escorted from the venue.
USA Fencing provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing the incident: “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.”
A spokesperson clarified that Turner’s disqualification was not for her stance on transgender inclusion but for refusing to fence an eligible opponent. “According to the FIE (International Fencing Federation) Technical Rules, specifically Article t.113, a fencer is not permitted to refuse to fence another properly entered fencer for any reason. Under these rules, such a refusal results in disqualification and the corresponding sanctions.”
Turner revealed she had previously avoided tournaments where she knew transgender fencers would compete, but this time Sullivan had apparently registered after she did. “I was like, ‘You know what, I’m just going to give it to God. If this person shows up to my event and is on my script, then I would take a knee, and that would be God’s will,'” she said.
The decision was not made lightly. Turner had followed the “protect women’s sports” movement and was aware of the potential backlash. “It will probably, at least for a moment, destroy my life. I don’t think that it’s going to be easy for me from now on going to fencing tournaments. I don’t think it’s going to be easy for me at practice,” Turner said.
Turner, who described herself as a lifelong Democrat, said the issue has transformed her political stance. She now identifies as a “new Republican conservative” and says she “voted red down the ticket this year.” She expressed support for cutting funding to states that allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports, adding, “Something needs to be done, and there are activists who have embedded themselves in authoritative positions in sports bodies.”
Turner has not heard from USA Fencing since the incident.
