The USA Fencing board has decided to revise its policy regarding host sites for events, emphasizing states that have LGBTQ-friendly laws. This change comes in response to criticism faced for penalizing a female fencer who refused to compete against transgender opponents. The scrutiny reached a height during a Congressional hearing earlier in May.
The board announced these changes during a meeting on Saturday. They adopted a more streamlined policy that sets criteria based on cost, safety, and convenience for all national bids across the country. The goal here is to ensure that host cities comply with strict standards regarding member safety and overall cost-effectiveness.
Furthermore, the updated national anthem policy will roll out in summer 2025 and will undergo annual reviews by the tournament committee. The board stated that this unified anthem policy aims to provide consistent, respectful guidelines for honoring flags and anthems at national events over the next nine years.
Back in December, the board had voted to include the national anthem before every tournament start for both NAC and National Championships. However, this vote did not pass, with 8 members opposing and one abstaining.
In a previous policy shift announced in November 2022, the board had chosen to host events in states that do not have laws perceived as harmful to the LGBTQ community, prioritizing those without restrictions affecting women’s reproductive health. This policy took effect in the 2023 season, also altering gender-related policies that year. The intention was to avoid certain states for hosting major events whenever possible.
States deemed unsuitable included Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas. Meanwhile, states on an “avoid if possible” list included Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, and several others.
The previous policies have led to significant criticism, particularly after fencer Stephanie Turner drew global attention by protesting against his trans opponent during a competition in March. The incident went viral as Turner was disqualified and penalized for his actions.
The ongoing dispute was examined during a federal hearing on May 7, where Turner testified about his experience before US Fencing Chair Damian Lehfeldt. The organization’s inclusion policies faced strong rebuttals from Republican lawmakers, particularly from Marjorie Taylor Greene, who criticized the board’s approach to host site selection.
Greene remarked that the organization’s choices for event locations seemed politically motivated, favoring blue states while disadvantaging red ones. “It’s about more than just fencing,” she stated, implying the implications of these policies stretch beyond sports.
In April, USA Fencing also indicated intentions to change its current policy to permit transgender athletes to compete in the women’s category. The proposed adjustment requires competitors to participate according to their biological sex. This means, under the new rules, the women’s category would be exclusive to female sex athletes, while the men’s category would be open to all qualified individuals.
