USA Fencing sliced & diced over ‘tolerance’ statement after booting female competitor

USA Fencing was skewered over a pathetic attempt to defend itself for disqualifying a female fencer who took a knee rather than be forced to compete against a man, becoming a national hero in the process.

Stephanie Turner struck a blow for the integrity of women’s sports when she refused to participate in a match with transgender Redmond Sullivan at the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland last month, drawing an expulsion for her principled act of defiance.

Historic Protest: Female Fencer Takes a Knee in Bout Against Male Opponent, Faces Immediate Disqualification

After receiving a black card for refusing to compete against a man, Redmond Sullivan’s female opponent was expelled from the @USAFencing event at the Univ. of… pic.twitter.com/IloSnrb2Iu

— ICONS (@icons_women) April 2, 2025

“I saw that I was going to be in a pool with Redmond, and from there I said, ‘OK, let’s do it. I’m going to take the knee,’” the 31-year-old athlete told Fox News Digital. She also blew the whistle on how USA Fencing has become infested with transgender activism.

Amid fallout over its punishment of Turner, USA Fencing went into damage control mode, issuing a statement hiding behind “hate speech” laws to justify its own intolerance.

pic.twitter.com/XHTR4imfIS

— USA Fencing (@USAFencing) April 3, 2025

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

“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,” USA Fencing said.

The hypocritical appeal to tolerance was skewered by X users.

Utter bullshit

When you engage in misogyny, don’t expect the rest of us to call you a bunch of misogynists

We’re not pretending this is okay

— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) April 4, 2025

If a male doesn’t want to compete with males, he goes to the girls team.

If a female doesn’t want to compete with males, she’s off the team.

— Queen Velvet (@TMIWITW) April 4, 2025

You’re destroying women’s sports to accommodate mentally ill men who believe they’re women.

— UngaTheGreat (@UngaTheGreat) April 4, 2025

What a gross way to respond.

You dug in your heels?! Redmond Sullivan is a man, and allowing him to compete in the women’s category is not only unfair, it places women in danger.

Refusing to compete against a male isn’t hate speech. And what we have to say about it isn’t either

— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) April 4, 2025

Not for women and girls, though, eh?

We’re supposed to suck it up, accept males in our sports, in our changing rooms, because you’ve decided validating their false identities is more important than female athletes having safe. fair, dignified competition.

— Billy Bragg (@Serena_Partrick) April 4, 2025

You lost the “be respectful” argument when you disqualified a woman for refusing to compete against a man.

— Sall Grover (@salltweets) April 3, 2025

A woman decided she did not want to fight a man and you punished her for it.

You’re in no place to demand “respectful debate”

— (@txsalth2o) April 3, 2025

Shame on you. You discriminated against a young woman and are upholding policies that affect the goals of female athletes. Men have NO place in women’s sports. Period.

— Sherry Renaud (@sherryhanna53) April 3, 2025

This is a meaningless statement.

You can’t foster “respectful community for everyone” when you disrespect females by forcing them to compete against men and punishing them when they refuse.

You can’t “create safe communities” when you physically endanger your female athletes…

— Kaeley Triller (@KaeleyT) April 4, 2025

“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,” the organization said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Staff Writer

Chris Donaldson is an ordinary American who is concerned about rampant corruption as well as the ongoing attacks on our way of life by those who have contempt for our hard-earned freedoms. A Navy veteran, he has been a frequent contributor to conservative websites and resides in Florida.

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