Damien Lehfeldt, Chairman of USA Fencing, seemed to convey a clear message before his upcoming questioning by legislators regarding the participation of men in women’s sports.
He’s slated to be among the witnesses at a House oversight session led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, alongside Subcommittee Chairman Tim Burchett and others, including Melanie Stansbury and Jasmine Crockett.
A USA Fencing representative shared a photo on social media, humorously flipping off the camera, captioned “Game Day.”
This hearing comes in the wake of fencer Stephanie Turner’s protest against competing against a transgender athlete, which has generated backlash against the organization, leading to Turner being effectively excluded from the sport.
Recently, the organization announced plans to revise its policies that permit biological males to compete against females if they “force” changes to current arrangements. They noted that any policy shifts would ensure compliance with monitoring entities and maintain support for individual identity, despite potential impacts on some members.
The proposed new guidelines aim to create a female category reserved strictly for female sex athletes while allowing all other qualifying athletes in the male category. If this policy is enacted, it would apply to multiple levels of licensed competitions, including Division I and youth categories.
Turner is expected to testify at the hearing, joined by former volleyball player Payton McNabb, who sustained serious injuries due to a spike from a transgender competitor.
