In a recent protest not to compete against a transgender opponent, fencer Stephanie Turner knelt in front of Redmond Sullivan. She said, “This is a man, and I’m a woman.” The 31-year-old fencer did this to refuse to fight against Sullivan, who’s a transgender fencer, biologically male. Turner wanted to present the deserved dignity to her sports, efforts, and years of training by not competing against a transgender who is physically stronger than her. In just a few hours, she has gone viral for the right reasons.
When she discovered her opponent was a biological male, she decided to stand up for herself. Even when she knew she could get disqualified. After getting on one knee, her opponent asked her if she was okay, as Sullivan did not understand what was happening. She explained her actions and Sullivan told her she would get a black card for protesting. He has connections and will get the right support.
Upon confirming her actions, the referee presented her with the black card which is a serious punishment in fencing, disqualifying her from the entire tournament. She might also get investigated further for breaching the sports code honor.
Thank you Stephanie Turner for taking a stand! She refused to compete against a male in her women’s division & was disqualified. She said, “I’m just going to give it to God.” This issue needs to be addressed to protect women & girls in all sports! https://t.co/xot3VZXBkI
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) April 5, 2025
Sullivan, who participated in the sports in 2023 as a male, was not much known. However, while competing as a male, he has been making into news for a good performance. This shows the unfair advantage he has over female opponents. Although he went through a transformation, that does not eliminate the biological advantage he had and no one checks the hormone levels to ensure a fair game.
This incident comes after Trump signed an executive order named “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” banning trans athletes from participating in women’s sports. The order was to protect women and avoid discrimination in sports. Meanwhile, trans athletes have hit back at Trump for his orders that exclude LGBTQ+ players, saying they will fight for their rights.
Till now, the US Fencing Association has not said a single word of solidarity. She said, “Not an email, not a call, not a text. I may never get a fair bout in my life again. It’s certainly going to be difficult for me to go to tournaments.”
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She further says that everyone will see her in the tournaments now and know what she stands for in advance. She’s hopeful that she’ll fight in other tournaments and does not intend to leave the sports. Although it’s going to be relatively harder now, she is in this for life.
Turner has received support from several sports personalities and netizens. At the same time, the trans community, of course, isn’t on her side. And what gets you support from JK Rowling? Protesting against the trans community. Rowling called her a heroine for standing up for women’s rights. One netizen said that she did not need to win the tournament; she already won everyone with her move.
Turner has expressed disappointment and anger, saying she wakes up angry every day. The USFA does not ensure the safety of women and enables more advantages to males in the sports that are for women. The USFA has only said that it respects both sides’ viewpoints. This isn’t enough effort to resolve the issue and her unfair disqualification.
