More than two months have passed since women’s fencer Stephanie Turner went viral after being punished by USA Fencing for kneeling in protest of a trans opponent. The incident, which led to her stepping away from the sport after a 12-month probation, has sparked a national debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports and the role of political considerations in athletic governance. Turner, who now criticizes USA Fencing’s leadership, claims the organization has been systematically targeting conservative states, arguing that policies de-prioritizing states with restrictive LGBTQ and abortion laws are politically motivated rather than sports-focused. She has called for a complete restructuring of the organization’s leadership, suggesting a shakeup is needed to address what she views as an overreach into social issues.
Turner’s protest against Redmond Sullivan, a trans athlete, came to a head during the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland, which resulted in Turner being suspended. The controversy led to an expanded investigation, including a Title IX probe under the Trump administration and a congressional hearing by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee. During the hearing, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a prominent conservative voice, highlighted how the organization’s selection of host cities for its events favored states with inclusive LGBTQ policies, effectively excluding conservative and red states. The policy, which had previously listed numerous states as ‘do not allow’ or ‘avoid where possible’ based on their laws, was a major point of contention. However, USA Fencing has since revised its approach, prioritizing cost, safety, and travel convenience over political considerations and planning to hold events in a range of states, including Texas, Missouri, Florida, and Nevada, over the next year.
Turner’s reaction to the policy changes underscores a broader ideological divide within the U.S. over the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports and the extent to which governing bodies should influence broader societal issues. Her comments reflect a conservative stance that questions the legitimacy of policies tied to LGBTQ rights and abortion laws in sports organizations. The organization has yet to finalize the details of its new gender-eligibility policy, which aims to restrict the women’s category to athletes of the female sex, while allowing men’s events to be open to