The female swordsman, who was disqualified from the tournament after refusing to compete with her transgender opponent, was invited to testify before Congress.
Stephanie Turner, 31, went on her knees instead of fencing with 20-year-old Redmond Sullivan, who was biologically male born on March 30 at USA Fencing’s Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland.
Now Turner is invited before the House Oversight Subcommittee to provide Government Efficiency (DOGE) to answer questions about the case. And Damien Lehfeldt, chairman of the US Fencing Committee, has also been invited to attend.
Lehfeldt, In Blog post from August 2023claimed that “trans women are women, and gender is not gender.” US Fencing now allows trans athletes to compete in the female category after completing testosterone suppression treatment for one calendar year.
The chair also opposed separate athletic departments for trans athletes. Because it “contradicts USA Fencing’s diversity and inclusion (D&I) vision.”
“Transgender fencers deserve the right to compete with the gender they identify, and people of age must comply with the competition guidelines and regulations outlined by the US Fencing and the IOC. [sic] IOC Guidelines Maybe It will be incomplete,” Liefeld wrote.
“After transition, transgender women may have a physical advantage over their cisgender opponents. They may not. In fencing, there is no data to support either perspective.”
He added: “Giving athletes a sense of belonging and willingness to live is more powerful than medals and competition glory.”
The hearing is scheduled for May 7th.
“Women’s sports are for women only. Extreme leftists who push biological men to compete with women are destroying fair competition and putting female athletes at physical risk,” said Doge Subcommittee Chairman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
“Stefannie Turner had the courage to invoke this insanity. She is a hero to women all over the United States. American fencing has to take women accountable to deny the opportunity to succeed in their sport.
Turner posted that he admitted the match “for his own physical safety.”
“Men fence far more harder than women. I don’t want to get hurt,” she said, adding that when she first started playing the sport, “this is immeasurable.”
“I’m very angry to see us go with someone else’s fantasy.”
In a statement, USA Fencing claimed Turner was disqualified for refusing to compete rather than protest.
“USA Fencing continues to work on fostering an inclusive and respectful community for everyone in our sport. We believe in the principle of creating a safe community where all athletes and members of our community have a place,” the statement read.
“We understand that there are many different perspectives, but US Fencing will continue to have respectful, research-based dialogue and reviews as policies in the Olympic and Paralympic movements and domestic law evolve.
Three years ago, US fencing was adopted. Policy that gives preference when selecting host cities for national tournaments in locations that do not have laws “harming members of the LGBTQ community” State list What was intended to “avoid as much as possible” when holding major events.
Meanwhile, President Trump’s Department of Education is investigating the case to see if USA Fencing is violating Title IX by refusing to comply with an executive order entitled “Stop Men from Women’s Sports.”
“U.S. fencing will respond and cooperate with any investigation required by law,” the organization said in a statement responding to the investigation.
Last week, Turner was highlighted as “the victory champion of courage.” xx-xy track and field – A brand that advocates women – “Stayed in her position to fight for women’s sports.”
“She’s a hero,” XX-XY founder and CEO Jennifer Say said of the fencer.
