Sadly, Fencing Proves Snowflakes Are Mightier Than The Sword

As the rules and techniques of swordsmanship became more standardized, the"schools of defense" began to be referred to as "schools of fencing," and the practice of defending with a sword was referred to as "fencing."

It’s ironic that a sport known as fencing, which means defense, has turned its proverbial back on the entire female gender. Not only did the sport fail to protect the women in its female division, but it also punished the one woman who stood, or in this case knelt, in defiance of the unfair inclusion of biological men into their sport.

The woman in question is Stephanie Turner, who earlier this week knelt in protest rather than face a male opponent who has no right, other than woke madness, to be competing against women.

On Thursday, a gutless spokesperson for USA Fencing addressed the controversy with a public statement defending its moronic trans-inclusion policies with the same old “blah, blah, blah, rhetoric.

"USA Fencing remains committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful community for everyone in our sport. We believe in the principle of creating a safe community where all athletes and community members have a place.”

"While we understand there are a range of perspectives, USA Fencing will continue to engage in respectful, research-based dialogue and review as policy evolves in the Olympic and Paralympic movement, as well as domestic law. Hate speech of any kind is not acceptable—online or in person. Let's keep the conversation respectful and the strip welcoming to all."

The fencing organization implemented its current trans-inclusion policy in 2023, allowing transgender athletes to compete in the women's category at both junior and senior levels after completing one calendar year of testosterone suppression treatment. Athletes must provide proof of compliant hormone therapy before competing. Additionally, the organization has taken further steps to prioritize the inclusion of its transgender competitors.

By implementing this policy, fencing is not only allowing the dangerous practice of allowing men to compete against women, but it is also justifying and even encouraging the use of testosterone-suppressing drugs for any cowardly men who want to compete against women.

In November 2022, the organization expanded its bias and announced a policy that prioritizes states without laws that "harm members of LGBTQ communities" and those that do not "undermine the reproductive health of women" when selecting host cities for national tournaments. This policy took effect in the 2023 season, coinciding with changes to its gender policy. I guess no one informed this confused agency that men are not women and that any state that bans men competing against women is protecting them, not harming them.

On its “policy page,” USA Fencing CEO Phill Andrews states:

"We’ve heard from a number of members, including members of the Board and members of our elite athlete community, asking whether continuing to place events in areas with either anti-LGBTQ laws or anti-abortion laws aligns with our core values as an organization. After a robust discussion with our Board and our staff team, USA Fencing has moved to give preference to those states without these laws."

Really, who are “the members of your elite community?” Your “core” values? Based on your policies, you have no “core” values to speak of. Ironically, the states on your “do not allow” list: Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas have an abundance of “moral core values” regarding this issue.

While USA Fencing may not have a firm grasp on reality, it does have a solid grip on list-making. In addition to its “do not allow” list, it also has an “avoid where possible list.” The states making that one are: Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. As you can see, a few states made both lists.

Over the past two years, a combination of these types of policies has led to an increase in biological male fencers participating in women’s and girls’ USA Fencing-sanctioned events. Some of these competitors previously competed in the men's category. By September 2023, four biological male fencers, who had earlier competed in the men's category, reached the podium in the women's category at USA Fencing events. Turner informed Fox News Digital that the number of transgender competitors is actually higher than previously reported.

“In fencing, I personally see it quite often. I have witnessed transgender fencers in women's tournaments and girls tournaments in different age categories, specifically Y-14 (the youngest age group)."

The trans athlete Turner refused to compete against last weekend, Redmond Sullivan, participated in men's events until June 2023, according to his profile on Fencing Tracker. The profile indicates that Sullivan had no competitions from June 2023 until returning on September 28, 2024, marking the athlete's first competition in the women's category at an event in Newtown, Connecticut.

Following this, Sullivan won two gold medals: one at the Connecticut Division Junior Olympic Qualifiers on December 8 and another at the Connecticut Division Summer National Qualifiers on March 16.

This past December, the Fair Fencing Organization, a nonprofit fencing group, wrote an open letter to the USA Fencing Board Members urging them to reevaluate their stance on several issues, including transgender inclusion.

"Politics aside, it is a reasonable request to form a task force to do a deeper dive on this issue in fencing and create a safe space where the voices of all women are heard without ridicule and abuse.”

Just days later, the board members voted 8-3 against several motions to approve an all-female task force tasked with re-evaluating and revising the current transgender policy. Now, after opposing women fencers who are seeking protection from transgender inclusion, USA Fencing is embroiled in a global controversy following Turner’s viral protest.

USA Fencing issued a statement to Fox News Digital regarding the incident.

"USA Fencing enacted our current transgender and nonbinary athlete policy in 2023. The policy was designed to expand access to the sport of fencing and create inclusive, safe spaces. The policy is based on the principle that everyone should have the ability to participate in sports and was based upon the research available of the day.”

"We respect the viewpoints on all sides and encourage our members to continue sharing them with us as the matter evolves. It's important for the fencing community to engage in this dialogue, but we expect this conversation to be conducted respectfully, whether at our tournaments or in online spaces. The way to progress is by respectful discussion based in evidence."

"In the case of Stephanie Turner, her disqualification was not related to any personal statement but was merely the direct result of her decision to decline to fence an eligible opponent, which the FIE rules clearly prohibit.”

"According to the FIE (International Fencing Federation) Technical Rules, specifically Article t.113, a fencer is not permitted to refuse to fence another properly entered fencer for any reason. Under these rules, such a refusal results in disqualification and the corresponding sanctions. This policy exists to maintain fair competition standards and preserve the sport’s integrity."

I have some breaking news for the International Fencing Federation.

As long as you continue to allow men to compete against women and disqualify any women who protest this insanity, all you are maintaining is the fact that you, as a governing body, and the sport you govern have NO integrity.

Since you’re so adept at making lists, … Add your group’s name to your new “Organizations with No Integrity' list.