In a moment of courage, female fencer Stephanie Turner made a bold stand—and paid the price.
At a recent fencing tournament at the University of Maryland, Turner was scheduled to face Redmond Sullivan, a man claiming to be a woman competing in the women’s division. As the match was about to begin, Turner took a knee, removed her fencing mask, and refused to fence.
Her protest? That biological men should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports.
The response was swift and severe. Turner received a black card—the harshest penalty in fencing—effectively disqualifying her from the event and potentially jeopardizing her future in the sport.
The USA Fencing claim of being “inclusive,” is in fact exclusive. It excludes biological women from having a place of their own.
“This man can compete in the men’s category or in the mixed category, But by choosing to compete in the women’s category, he’s taking away a spot that belongs to a woman.”
USA Fencing, in a statement, reaffirmed its support for transgender participation and upheld Turner’s disqualification, ignoring the flood of concerns coming from female athletes and supporters on social media.
Turner, once a self-proclaimed lifelong Democrat, says this moment was eye-opening.
“I voted red down the ticket this year. It was like waking up to the lies of the mainstream media.”
She’s not alone. A growing number of women in sports, particularly those on the front lines of competition, are beginning to question policies that, in the name of progress, may be undermining the very protections Title IX was designed to offer.
Turner has publicly criticized USA Fencing for “not listening to women’s objections”—a sentiment that resonates beyond just fencing. Across the sports world, female athletes are voicing concerns, but few seem to be heard.
This isn’t about hatred or discrimination. It’s about fairness, biology, and the integrity of women’s sports. If governing bodies continue to ignore female voices, what does the future of women’s competition look like?
Males are quicker
Males have longer reach
Males are much stronger
But in this tournament Stephanie Turner became more powerful than any male
By taking a knee
And refusing to fight a man
Follow up. Two men won first and second place.
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