American female fencer kneels in protest, refuses to compete against transgender opponent

A screenshot of fencer Stephanie Turner kneeling and refusing to compete with transgender opponent Redmond Sullivan at the Cherry Blossom tournament on March 30, 2025

Stephanie Turner had completed four matches before facing Redmond Sullivan, a transgender who placed 24th out of 39 fencers overall at the women’s 1A foil event on March 30. As the match began, Turner knelt on the floor and removed her mask in protest.

Turner anticipated the encounter and made the decision to protest because the United States Fencing Association (USFA) had disregarded the concerns of female athletes, The Daily Tribune reported.

"I took a knee immediately at that point," Turner told Fox News Digital. Redmond was under the impression that 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.'"

"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. 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.'"

The USFA later released a statement supporting Sullivan and reaffirming its non-binary athlete policy, which was adopted in 2023 to "expand access to the sport of fencing and create inclusive, safe spaces".

The organization emphasized its ongoing commitment to inclusion and stated that policies would evolve in line with evidence-based research and Olympic or Paralympic guidelines.

While acknowledging the right of members to voice concerns, the USFA called for respectful dialogue both at tournaments and online. It clarified that Turner was not penalized for her statement but was disqualified for refusing to compete against an eligible athlete, as required by International Fencing Federation (FIE) rules, Newsweeks reported.

Sullivan, who transitioned before competing, previously participated in women's track and field at Daniel Hand High School in Connecticut and began fencing for Wagner College in December 2024.

The incident has sparked wider debate, drawing criticism from tennis legend Martina Navratilova and the Independent Council for Women’s Sports (ICONs). Navratilova argued that allowing transgender athletes in women’s competitions gives them an unfair advantage.

After his re-election, President Donald Trump signed executive orders defining gender as strictly male or female and barring male participation in women’s sports.

Following these developments, the National Collegiate Athletic Association revised its policy to restrict women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth.