Female fencer reveals what trans athlete told her after she took a knee to express her refusal to compete

MARYLAND: What began as a quiet fencing bout at the University of Maryland has ignited into a national debate on gender and fairness in women’s sports.

Stephanie Turner, a competitive fencer, refused to compete against Redmond Sullivan, a transgender athlete born male, by taking a knee on the strip before their match began. 

But just before the protest unfolded at the Cherry Blossom Open on March 30, Turner claims Sullivan gave her a clear warning, Fox News reported.

Trans athlete Redmond Sullivan warned rival mid-match: 'You will get blackcarded'

“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 blackcarded,’” Turner told Fox News. "And I said, 'I know.’”

Within moments, Turner was shown a black card.

Turner says the decision wasn’t spontaneous.

“I saw that I was going to be in a pool with Redmond, and from there I said, 'OK, let's do it. I'm going to take the knee,’” Turner recalled, adding, “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. Redmond (Sullivan) was under the impression that I was going to start fencing.”

The moment, caught on video, shows Turner calmly kneeling and refusing to engage. 

“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,” Turner recalled. 

Confused, Sullivan initially believed she might be injured. “He asked if I was OK,” Turner recalled. “I said, ‘I have love and respect for you, but I will not fence you.’”

The incident has since exploded online, drawing millions of views and fierce responses. Critics slammed USA Fencing’s decision as punishing women for standing up for themselves. Supporters of inclusion argued that sports should remain open to all identities under established rules.

Turner stated that she has yet to receive any response from the organization following the incident.

Turner explained, “In previous years when I had known about transgender fencers being present, I just wouldn't register, but for this one, Redmond must have signed up after me.”

She added, “I was like, ‘You know what, I’m just going to give it to God. If this person shows up to my event and is on my script, then I would take a knee, and that would be God's will.’”

Turner had been closely following the rise of the "protect women's sports" movement in recent years, along with the intense criticism and harassment many of its supporters have endured.

While the fear of backlash weighed heavily on her, it ultimately didn’t deter her from taking a stand by kneeling.

“It will probably, at least for a moment, destroy my life. I don't think that it's going to be easy for me from now on going to fencing tournaments,” she admitted. ”I don't think it's going to be easy for me at practice. It's very hard for me to do this.”

USA Fencing defends decision on Stephanie Turner amid transgender policy debate

Amid the fallout from Stephanie Turner’s viral protest at the Cherry Blossom Open, USA Fencing is doubling down on its decision to disqualify her, insisting it was a procedure, not politics.

“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 prohibit,” the statement read, adding, “USA Fencing is obligated to follow the letter of those rules and ensure that participants respect the standards set at the international level.”

“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,” it said.

USA Fencing explained, “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.”

Stephanie Turner says trans athlete policies pushed her toward GOP

Turner, who has identified as a lifelong Democrat, maintains that she has never been against the LGBTQ community. However, the debate over transgender participation in women’s sports has pushed her to reconsider her political stance. She now describes herself as a "new Republican conservative."

“I voted red down the ticket this year,” Turner shared. “It was like waking up to the lies of the mainstream media… Just to watch so many of my friends have this glassy-eyed look while just defending this policy because their brains can not manage the possibility that their party or their position has been wrong on this, and perhaps this isn't a civil rights movement, and they have been misled.”

Turner also expressed her strong support for President Donald Trump’s decision to cut funding to states that permit transgender athletes to compete in women’s and girls’ sports.

“Something needs to be done, and there are activists who have embedded themselves in authoritative positions in sports bodies.”