By During a weekend fencing tournament in Maryland, a quiet act of protest by 31-year-old Stephanie Turner — brief, deliberate, and resolute — ignited a firestorm at the intersection of sport, gender, and political conscience. At the Cherry Blossom Open, Turner refused to compete against Redmond Sullivan, a transgender athlete, prompting her immediate disqualification and forcible removal from the venue.
Turner, having already fenced several bouts that day, knelt solemnly before her scheduled match, removed her protective mask, and informed the referee of her intent to withdraw. “I am a woman, and this is a man, and this is a women’s tournament,” she later explained to Fox News Digital. “I will not fence this individual.” Her refusal was not impulsive but premeditated. Having recognized Sullivan’s name from prior media coverage, she said she became aware of the matchup only the night before — too late, in her telling, to withdraw without forfeiting the day’s earlier contests.
Stephanie Turner refused to fence a dude pretending to be a woman, Redmond Sullivan, & took her mask off and got a knee in front of her male opponent.
Following this the referee gave Turner a black card leading to expulsion from the tournament for "serious rule infractions."… pic.twitter.com/dZ0OppnGIC
— Mrgunsngear (@Mrgunsngear) April 2, 2025
USA Fencing responded swiftly and unequivocally. A black card — the sport’s most severe sanction, reserved for unsportsmanlike conduct — was issued, wrote NBC News.
USA Fencing said its responsibility is to ensure that all athletes, regardless of their personal positions, compete under the same rules established by International Fencing Federation (FIE), the sport’s governing body.
“In the case of Stephanie Turner, her disqualification, which applies to this tournament only, 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 rules clearly prohibit,” USA Fencing said in a statement.
“USA Fencing is obligated to follow the letter of those rules and ensure that participants respect the standards set at the international level.”
USA Fencing enacted its current transgender and nonbinary athlete policy in 2023, which it said 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.
While describing herself as a lifelong Democrat, Turner acknowledged that having to face biological men in competition has changed her politics. “I voted red down the ticket this year,” she confessed, positioning her refusal as a line in the sand, drawn not against Sullivan as an individual (whom she described with “love and respect”) but against what she portrayed as a systemic betrayal of women’s sport by its governing institutions.
Turner received support from tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who went after USA Fencing on social media.
This is what happens when female athletes protest! 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 bullshit bus!!! https://t.co/2ojOJvJiLx
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) April 2, 2025
Former NCAA fencer Juliana Peceli also weighed
As a retired D1 @NCAA fencer, I was forced to compete against men who claimed to be women. Female athletes dedicate our lives to our sport, only to have men take our spots, our titles, and our future.
Kudos to the women who refuse to accept this injustice. #SaveWomensSports https://t.co/1TDBbrJhGF
— Juliana Peceli (@notorious_jcp) April 2, 2025
USA Fencing did not respond to questions from Fox News, but released a statement.
“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.”
[Read More: Elon’s Time At DOGE Coming To An End]
