Stephanie Turner Says USA Fencing’s Transgender Influx Has Made Her ‘Unwelcome in Own Category’

TURNER I started fencing ░░░░░░░░ the University of Maryland ░░░░░░░░ club team 11 years ░░░░░░░░ and became competitive within ░░░░░░░░ United States Fencing Association ░░░░░░░░ USFA a year later ░░░░░░░░ started as a hobby ░░░░░░░░ became a deep passion ░░░░░░░░ mine In these past ░░░░░░░░ years I estimate that ░░░░░░░░ have spent over 7000 ░░░░░░░░ training and over 100 ░░░░░░░░ between lessons club dues ░░░░░░░░ fees equipment and travel ░░░░░░░░ have dedicated a significant ░░░░░░░░ of my life to ░░░░░░░░ sport and competition because ░░░░░░░░ thousands of other women ░░░░░░░░ love it My favorite ░░░░░░░░ of fencing is the ░░░░░░░░ the thrill the fight ░░░░░░░░ triumph even the heartache ░░░░░░░░ lately fair female only ░░░░░░░░ is harder and harder ░░░░░░░░ come by The USFA ░░░░░░░░ over 200 self declared ░░░░░░░░ who identify as transgender ░░░░░░░░ time a man competes ░░░░░░░░ the women s category ░░░░░░░░ USAF s support it ░░░░░░░░ fair sport and takes ░░░░░░░░ from women Fencing is ░░░░░░░░ combat sport a martial ░░░░░░░░ of sorts There are ░░░░░░░░ of speed power reaction ░░░░░░░░ distance control footwork and ░░░░░░░░ work all attributes affected ░░░░░░░░ sex development It s ░░░░░░░░ uncommon for a quicker ░░░░░░░░ athletic opponent to overcome ░░░░░░░░ technique of another fencer ░░░░░░░░ is powerful in fencing ░░░░░░░░ works in equal parts ░░░░░░░░ strategy and technique It ░░░░░░░░ unbelievably demeaning to female ░░░░░░░░ to put down the ░░░░░░░░ between men and women ░░░░░░░░ any woman s loss ░░░░░░░░ a man as a ░░░░░░░░ issue or that a ░░░░░░░░ simply needs to work ░░░░░░░░ Within the USFA authoritative ░░░░░░░░ there is a culture ░░░░░░░░ intimidation toward women which ░░░░░░░░ that we be silent ░░░░░░░░ men enter our tournaments ░░░░░░░░ culture that includes public ░░░░░░░░ doxxing social ostracism dismissal ░░░░░░░░ even threats I went ░░░░░░░░ avoiding tournaments with known ░░░░░░░░ athletes to reaching out ░░░░░░░░ news outlets to get ░░░░░░░░ story known The USFA ░░░░░░░░ until my protest has ░░░░░░░░ unresponsive to women s ░░░░░░░░ for fair fencing and ░░░░░░░░ doubled down on efforts ░░░░░░░░ promote male inclusion in ░░░░░░░░ female category One month ░░░░░░░░ I took a knee ░░░░░░░░ protest to a man ░░░░░░░░ in my category Division ░░░░░░░░ Women s Foil ironically ░░░░░░░░ at the University of ░░░░░░░░ where my fencing career ░░░░░░░░ and the video of ░░░░░░░░ protest went viral The ░░░░░░░░ of that knee began ░░░░░░░░ years ago when I ░░░░░░░░ ICONS out of desperation ░░░░░░░░ numerous men taking women ░░░░░░░░ national and world titles ░░░░░░░░ was not only ignoring ░░░░░░░░ but encouraging and glorifying ░░░░░░░░ men It felt like ░░░░░░░░ was no place for ░░░░░░░░ in USFA fencing It ░░░░░░░░ me nearly three years ░░░░░░░░ get up the courage ░░░░░░░░ take a knee at ░░░░░░░░ Cherry Blossom Open That ░░░░░░░░ I took in protest ░░░░░░░░ a cry for help ░░░░░░░░ an act of desperation ░░░░░░░░ night before the tournament ░░░░░░░░ saw Redmond Sullivan s ░░░░░░░░ on the registration list ░░░░░░░░ recognized his name from ░░░░░░░░ Reduxx article as a ░░░░░░░░ fencer on Wagner College ░░░░░░░░ men team who switched ░░░░░░░░ the women s NCAA ░░░░░░░░ and the women s ░░░░░░░░ division I cried the ░░░░░░░░ night and again felt ░░░░░░░░ by the USFA I ░░░░░░░░ already spent the money ░░░░░░░░ competition fees and new ░░░░░░░░ spent hours training and ░░░░░░░░ my equipment and had ░░░░░░░░ down from Philadelphia PA ░░░░░░░░ College Park MD the ░░░░░░░░ before in preparation for ░░░░░░░░ tournament I felt trapped ░░░░░░░░ had been defrauded of ░░░░░░░░ women s tournament and ░░░░░░░░ a lie by the ░░░░░░░░ This was hardly the ░░░░░░░░ time I faced fencing ░░░░░░░░ man in a woman ░░░░░░░░ competition In previous instances ░░░░░░░░ would wait until the ░░░░░░░░ minute to register for ░░░░░░░░ tournament to see if ░░░░░░░░ known men would register ░░░░░░░░ they did I would ░░░░░░░░ sign up I missed ░░░░░░░░ on numerous regional and ░░░░░░░░ tournaments I did not ░░░░░░░░ to keep abandoning opportunities ░░░░░░░░ advance my fencing I ░░░░░░░░ felt so isolated and ░░░░░░░░ by the USFA for ░░░░░░░░ with its transgender policy ░░░░░░░░ I felt scared to ░░░░░░░░ openly online or with ░░░░░░░░ in the fencing community ░░░░░░░░ reached out to a ░░░░░░░░ friend asking what I ░░░░░░░░ do We prayed together ░░░░░░░░ asked God if it ░░░░░░░░ His will that I ░░░░░░░░ that He pair me ░░░░░░░░ Redmond in a bout ░░░░░░░░ following day The next ░░░░░░░░ I found myself on ░░░░░░░░ platform against him and ░░░░░░░░ down Speaking out on ░░░░░░░░ issue has made me ░░░░░░░░ target for harassment and ░░░░░░░░ as well as cost ░░░░░░░░ friends I have decided ░░░░░░░░ step away from the ░░░░░░░░ I love at least ░░░░░░░░ now as well because ░░░░░░░░ USFA has fostered an ░░░░░░░░ where I am unwelcome ░░░░░░░░ my own category It ░░░░░░░░ culturally acceptable to bully ░░░░░░░░ shame women who speak ░░░░░░░░ for women I should ░░░░░░░░ have had to make ░░░░░░░░ sacrifice Women deserve to ░░░░░░░░ treated fairly in sport ░░░░░░░░ deserve opportunities to train ░░░░░░░░ and win in a ░░░░░░░░ s category set aside ░░░░░░░░ women We deserve this ░░░░░░░░ the lowest levels of ░░░░░░░░ all the way through ░░░░░░░░ Olympic competition I hope ░░░░░░░░ by taking a stand ░░░░░░░░ raising awareness of the ░░░░░░░░ in our sport I ░░░░░░░░ help ensure other women ░░░░░░░░ girls do not have ░░░░░░░░ take such risks to ░░░░░░░░ the most basic protections ░░░░░░░░ sports.”