Stephanie Turner, a female fencer, said that she would stop competing for a “while” after being put on probation by USA Fencing. She was placed on probation because she refused to compete in March against a male fencer who identified as transgender.
Turner talked to Fox News regarding the one-year probation. She said that because of the attention she received for taking a knee in front of biological male Redmond Sulser at the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland, she will not be competing in the United States anytime soon.
Turner stated that the incident “has disrupted my interaction with people when I am out in public, and it will disrupt my competition as I won’t compete in the United States any time soon.”
Turner, who is not prohibited from competing by the probation, said that she will “take a break” from fencing in the US circuit for a little while. She also stated that she would not be silent on why trans-identifying men shouldn’t compete in female sports.
Turner told Fox News: “I’ll remain in public view for as long as it takes to solve this.”
She said that she was also thinking about other women who had to deal with males in their sport. “There is no end to what you could face.”
Turner stated, “It’s difficult to come out of the closet because you nuke your entire life.”
“You can face social ostracism. She added, “You can face financial repercussions.” You can be harmed by a disruption in training. “You could be a target of officials or referees for the rest of your life.”
After the female fencer refused Sullivan’s challenge and received a black card in response, it was reported that the biological man was no longer on the women’s team, as was previously reported.
“We are fully compliant with NCAA and NEC regulations and rules.” In a statement sent to silive.com, Wagner College spokesperson Jim Chiavelli stated that Sullivan was not a part of the fencing team.
It’s unclear if Sullivan resigned voluntarily or was removed from the team.
Wagner College released a statement after Turner became viral for her post on the 30th of March about being disqualified from a Maryland competition. Turner took a stance against Sullivan, citing that it was unfair to compete against a male.
USA Fencing responded by releasing a statement that backed Sullivan’s inclusion on the women’s squad. The statement emphasized fostering an inclusive, respectful community in our sport.
The statement continued, “While we recognize that there are many different perspectives, USA Fencing is committed to engaging in respectful dialogues and reviews based on research as the policy changes in the Olympic, Paralympic, and domestic laws.” “Hate speech, or hate directed at anyone in any form, is not acceptable – online or offline.”
Former President Donald Trump signed an executive order that banned biological men from participating in women’s sports.
