Female fencer admits she feared 'losing friends' and her career before protest against trans opponent
COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND: A female fencer, who has been in the news for kneeling to protest competing against a trans athlete, has slammed the culture of the sport that left her fearing for her career and personal life before the viral incident.
On March 30, Stephanie Turner kneeled on the fencing strip after Redmond Sullivan came in front of her for the fight at the University of Maryland in College Park.
The 31-year-old was then disqualified from the game, which led to massive outrage from people like JK Rowling and Martina Navratilova.
🤺🚨Historic Protest: Female Fencer Takes a Knee in Bout Against Male Opponent, Faces Immediate Disqualification
— ICONS (@icons_women) April 2, 2025
After receiving a black card for refusing to compete against a man, Redmond Sullivan's female opponent was expelled from the @USAFencing event at the Univ. of… pic.twitter.com/IloSnrb2Iu
Stephanie Turner avoided competitions that included trans athletes
Now, Stephanie Turner has revealed that she normally avoids competing in such games where there are chances that transgenders will also be participating.
However, this time she decided to go for it as a form of protest, as per The New York Post.
“So what I was doing already was just avoiding tournaments where I knew there was a transgender fencer. But at this point, what else should I do? Should I just not sign up for any tournaments? I have no other option,” she revealed.
Stephanie Turner feared losing a chance at a fair bout due to her views
Turner also mentioned that she had not discussed her issues and concerns with the USA Fencing officials out of fear.
She said, “I was like, 'I don’t even want to reach out because if I do, then I won’t ever have a fair bout in my life.'”
“There are a lot of people who are for this [trans athletes in women’s sports].. who are referees. I would lose favor within the sight of referees and I could end up with a biased bout. I could lose friends who I don’t know what their position is on this,” she added.
USA Fencing defends giving Stephanie Turner a black card
Turner received a black card, the highest form of penalty in fencing, for refusing to face Sullivan.
USA Fencing justified their decision in a statement, noting, “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 rules clearly prohibit.”
“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. This policy exists to maintain fair competition standards and preserve the sport’s integrity,” the organization added.
