Female fencer Stephanie Turner took off her mask and kneeled in front of her transgender opponent.
Prior to a match at Maryland's Cherry Blossom Open over the weekend, Turner, 31, made the decision not to compete with trans-athlete Redmond Sullivan. And Turner also wanted to confirm that her rejection was caught up in the video for the world to watch.
Turner came to the decision the night before an event that checked the competition pool and saw him compete with Redmond, whom he read in last year's article.
“I saw Redmond and I was in the pool, and then I said, 'OK, let's do it, I'm going to kneel,'” Turner told Fox News Digital.
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Fencer Stephanie Sullivan kneels in front of American Fencing official (Icon provided)
Turner went through all the warm-ups that day, and advanced to the fence in four games before his matchup against the Transathlete. When it came she was “tight and unstable”, but she was sure of her decision.
“I knew what I had to do because USA Fencing hadn't heard of women's objections (its gender eligibility policy),” Turner said.
“At that point I was immediately on my knees. I was under the impression that Redmond was about to start fencing, so when I took my knees I saw the reference.
“Redmond doesn't listen to me, he comes to me and he thinks I might hurt, or he doesn't understand what's going on. He says, 'Are you okay?' and I say, 'I'm sorry.
And soon after that, Turner's punishment by US fencing began.
“Redmond tells me, 'Well, here's a member on the board that supports me, and I have a policy of recognizing me as a woman, so I can get a fence and you'll be a black card,” I said, 'I know,' Turner said.
A few minutes later, the referee handled a black card representing Turner the most serious penalty. This was expelled from a tournament or event due to serious violations of rules or for conduct like sportsmen.
Turner said he was later escorted by the match committee, where he had to explain what she had done. She says the members gave her a copy of the association's transgender policy, documenting that allowed her a black card to sign. Turner said she signed the document under objection.
Turner was then escorted from the venue, she said.
Female swordsman Stephanie Turner protests in front of transgender athlete Redmond Sullivan (Icon provided)
USA Fencing has provided a statement to Fox News Digital, which deals with incidents.
“US Fencing enacted its current transgender and non-binary three policy in 2023. This policy is designed to expand access to fencing sports and create inclusive and safe spaces. The policy is based on the principle that everyone has the ability to participate in sports and is based on research from the day,” the statement read.
“We respect all aspects of perspectives and encourage our members to continue to share with us as the issues evolve. It is important for the fencing community to engage in this dialogue, but we hope that this conversation will take place with respect both in tournaments and online spaces.
A USA Fencing spokesman also told Fox News Digital that Turner was punished for simply refusing to fences, not for his stance on trans-inclusion.
“In Stephanie Turner's case, her disqualification was nothing to do with a personal statement and was merely a direct result of her decision to reject eligible opponents.
“According to the Technical Rules of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), specifically Article 113, a fencer is not permitted to deny another fencer that has for any reason entered another fencer. Under these rules, such denials will cause corresponding sanctions.
Fencer Stephanie Sullivan kneels in front of American Fencing official (Icon provided)
Turner said he hadn't heard anything from the organization since the incident.
It was an incident she actively tried to avoid at a previous event. Turner said she refused to attend multiple past fencing events, including other transgender fencers she previously knew. It's a problem that she made an effort to stay constantly for her own awareness and safety.
“I didn't sign up in the previous year when I knew there were transgender fencers, but for this, Redmond must have signed up after me,” Turner said.
“I'm like, 'What do you know, I'm going to give it to God. If this person appears in my events and is in the script, I'll take my knees and that's what God will do.”
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But that wasn't a decision she came lightly.
Redmond paid close attention to the recent emergence of “protecting women's sports” movements and the repulsion and harassment faced by the women who participated. She recalls the story of Riley Gaines, who was taken hostage at San Francisco State University in April 2023.
The idea of Turner, troubled by backlash, wasn't enough to stop her from taking her knees.
“It's probably going to destroy my life for at least a while. From now on, I don't think it's easy to go to a fencing tournament. I don't think it's easy to practice,” Turner said. “This is very difficult to do.”
For Turner, one of her most worrying sacrifices is to prevent friendships with people in the LGBT community.
As a lifelong Democrat, Turner argues that he has never opposed LGBTQ people. However, the issue of transporting women's sports has kept her away from party support, identifying her as a “new Republican conservative.”
“I voted red for tickets this year,” Turner said. “It was like awakening to the lies of mainstream media… while many of my friends defended this policy while they were looking at this glass, and they couldn't control the possibility that their party or their position was wrong about this, so perhaps this was not a civil rights movement, they weren't misunderstood, and they weren't misunderstood.
Turner added that President Donald Trump is fully supporting funding to states that allow trans athletes to compete in women and girls' sports.
“There are activists who need to do something and have embedded themselves in an authority position in the sports body.”
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