Following months of criticism and a congressional hearing, USA Fencing has revised its policies to prioritize cost, safety, and convenience over LGBTQ-friendly states for tournament hosting and introduced a standardized national anthem policy. The changes come after months of public and congressional scrutiny over the organization’s previous selection of host states based on LGBTQ and reproductive rights laws, including a controversial incident involving a female fencer who refused to compete against a transgender opponent.
The decision was made after a vote by the board of directors, which adopted a streamlined policy applying criteria prioritizing cost, safety, and convenience to every national-event bid across all 50 states. The new policy ensures host cities meet stringent member-safety and cost-efficiency standards. Additionally, a new national anthem policy will go into effect at the 2025 Summer Nationals and will be reviewed annually by the tournament committee.
Previously, the organization’s host site policy gave preference to states with more inclusive LGBTQ laws and excluded states with restrictive laws on reproductive rights. This led to criticism and a congressional hearing, where the organization faced scrutiny over its selection process, which critics argued was politically motivated and contradicted its statutory duty to promote fencing across the U.S.
The new policy now includes a list of states that were previously avoided, such as Texas, Missouri, Florida, Utah, Ohio, Virginia, Oregon, Tennessee, and Nevada. USA Fencing also announced plans to revisit its transgender inclusion policy, stating that if forced to change its stance in accordance with oversight bodies or federal legislation, athletes competing in the women’s category must compete according to their biological sex.
The controversy has sparked broader debates about the intersection of sports, gender identity, and political policies, prompting calls for transparency and accountability within athletic organizations.