The fencer refused to acknowledge her opponent as a transgender person (Picture: @icons_women) USA Fencing has issued a statement after Stephanie Turner was disqualified for refusing to face transgender athlete Redmond Sullivan. The incident occurred last weekend at the Cherry Blossom tournament in the United States, sparking a fresh gender row after footage went viral. Just as the match was about to start, Turner took a knee in protest and was shown a black card, issued for bad behaviour or unsporting conduct. There has long been a complex debate over the inclusion of transgender athletes in all sports and whether or not they should compete in male or female events, with USA Fencing calling for ‘respectful communication’. The statement from USA Fencing on Wednesday came after Turner accused them of ‘not listening to women’s objections’ over transgender athletes competing in the female tournament at the University of Maryland. Sullivan was allowed to take part after transferring to Wagner College’s women’s team, having previously competed in the men’s division. Speaking after her disqualification, Turner refused to acknowledge Sullivan as a transgender person, claiming ‘this is a man’ and using male pronouns. Stephanie Turner took a knee in protest and was shown a black card (Picture: X) ‘I saw that I was going to be in a pool with [Sullivan], and from there I said, ‘OK, let’s do it. I’m going to take the knee’,’ Turner said. ‘I knew what I had to do because USA Fencing had not been listening to women’s objections. ‘I took a knee immediately at that point. [Sullivan] was under the impression I was going to start fencing. So when I took the knee, I looked at the ref and I said, ‘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’. ‘[Sullivan] didn’t hear me, and he comes up to me, and he thinks that I may be hurt, or he doesn’t understand what’s happening. He asks, ‘Are you OK?’ – and I said, ‘I’m sorry. I have much love and respect for you, but I will not fence you’.’ Transgender issues have been firmly under the spotlight in the USA since Donald Trump won the 2024 election, which has impacted several sports. In February, Trump issued a warning to American schools that do not comply with his order barring transgender athletes from women’s sports. Last month, Megan Rapinoe labelled Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes from women’s sports as ‘cruel and depraved’. https://www.instagram.com/p/DH_KWxrOAqf/?hl=en ‘[We] enacted our current transgender and non-binary athlete policy in 2023,’ USA Fencing said in a statement on Wednesday. ‘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. ‘We understand that the conversation on equity and inclusion pertaining to transgender participation in sport is evolving. USA Fencing will always err on the side of inclusion, and we’re committed to amending the policy as more relevant evidence-based research emerges, or as policy changes take effect in the wider Olympic and Paralympic movement. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page ‘We respect the viewpoints on all sides and encourage our members to continue sharing them with us as the matter evolves. It’s important for the fencing community to engage in this dialogue, but we expect this conversation to be conducted respectfully, whether at our tournaments or in online spaces. The way to progress is by respectful discussion based in evidence. ‘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 decline to fence an eligible opponent, which the FIE [International Fencing Federation] rules clearly prohibit. ‘USA Fencing is obligated to follow the letter of those rules and ensure that participants respect the standards set at the international level. We remain committed to inclusivity within our sport while also upholding every requirement dictated by our governing body.’ Women’s tennis legend Martina Navratilova has slammed USA Fencing over their call to disqualify Turner from the Cherry Blossom tournament. ‘This is what happens when female athletes protest!’ the nine-time Wimbledon singles champion posted on X. ‘Anyone here still thinks this is fair??? I am fuming… and shame on @USAFencing, shame on you for doing this. How dare you throw women under the gender bulls— bus!!!’