Female Fencer Disqualified After Refusing To Compete Against Trans Woman

A female fencer in the US has caused a storm of controversy over the weekend after she refused to compete against a trans woman.

In a viral video the woman is seen bending on one knee in front of her competitor instead of competing.

Now the footage has gone viral around the world and follows recent executive orders from Donald Trump attempting to ban trans competitors in sport.

Stephanie Turner refuses to compete against trans woman

Stephanie Turner was set to compete in a USA Fencing tournament against transgender competitor Redmond Sullivan at the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland recently.

As the competition was set to commence Turner instead removed her mask and bent down on one knee in front of Sullivan.

In a video posted online Turner is seen speaking to a puzzled looking Sullivan who approached her to find out what was happening.

“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’,” Turner later told Fox News.

After the pair were seen conversing the referee approached and issued Turner with a black card.

“Redmond 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” she said, deliberately misgendering the competitor.

“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.'”

“Redmond says to me, ‘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 black-carded,’ and I said, ‘I know.’”

Turner was then disqualified from the competition.

The video was later shared online by “ICONS” the Independent Council on Women’s Sports who regularly campaign against trans women competing in female sports, the footage received hundreds of comments and thousands of reposts on X (Twitter).

Stephanie Turner said:
“It will probably, at least for a moment, destroy my life.”

Turner knelt to stand up for women’s sports.

She’s a hero.

Doing the right thing is never wrong.

Share this ad to show her she has our support. pic.twitter.com/S8mCHBzMiD

— Jennifer Sey (@JenniferSey) April 3, 2025

USA Fencing clarified that Turner was disqualified for her failure to compete and “not related to any personal statement but was merely the direct result of her decision to decline to fence an eligible opponent.”

“USA Fencing is obligated to follow the letter of those rules and ensure that participants respect the standards set at the international level,” it said in a statement.

The organisation had previously updated their rules on trans and non-binary competitors 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,” they said.

“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.”