USA Fencing Minnesota has announced that it will only sanction mixed-gender events in response to new policies preventing biologically male trans athletes from competing in women’s competitions. This decision follows a policy change by USA Fencing in line with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s guidelines, which align with President Trump’s ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports’ executive order. The Minnesota division has criticized the new policy as ‘harmful’ and emphasized its commitment to inclusion and compliance with the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
The announcement comes amid a broader national debate over transgender athlete inclusion in sports, with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education launching Title IX investigations into Minnesota for its policies allowing trans athletes in women’s and girls’ sports. The state is also involved in multiple lawsuits over the issue, including one filed by state Attorney General Keith Ellison against the Trump administration and another by three anonymous girls’ softball players who had to compete against a transgender pitcher in the 2025 season.
USA Fencing has been under intense scrutiny since April 2, when footage of women’s fencer Stephanie Turner kneeling to protest a trans opponent went viral, leading to her disqualification and a black card for refusing to face the trans athlete. This incident sparked mass backlash against USA Fencing and led to a federal hearing on May 7, where Turner testified against USA Fencing chair Damien Lehfeldt. In early June, USA Fencing’s board of directors voted to amend its previous policy that prioritized states with LGBTQ-friendly laws for host sites for competitions and a policy that may have prevented the playing of the national anthem at some events. Both of these policies were criticized in the aftermath of Turner’s protest.
Following these developments, two USA Fencing board of directors members filed a lawsuit against the other six at-large members, alleging Lehfeldt made false statements to Congress. USA Fencing responded to the lawsuit by stating it would ‘vigorously defend the organization in court’ and address any attempts to disparage its leadership. Meanwhile, Minnesota has remained a focal point in the national debate over transgender athlete inclusion in sports, with its policies and legal battles continuing to draw attention and controversy.