A female fencer who was disqualified from a tournament after refusing to compete against a transgender opponent told members of Congress Wednesday she “felt betrayed” by the sport’s governing body, who she said had “defrauded” her and “sold a lie.”
Stephanie Turner, 31, took a knee instead of fencing against Redmond Sullivan, a 20-year-old who was born biologically male, at USA Fencing’s Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland on March 30.
In addition to forfeiting the match, Turner was hit with a 12-month probation period, causing her to step away from the sport.
The night before the scheduled match against Sullivan, Turner recalled to the House DOGE subcommittee, “I cried the whole night and again felt betrayed by USA Fencing.”
“I had already spent the money on competition fees and new equipment, and spent hours training and refurbishing my equipment,” she explained. “I felt trapped. I had been defrauded of a women’s tournament and sold a lie by USA Fencing.”
“I had felt so isolated and strangled by USA Fencing for disagreeing with this transgender policy that I felt scared to speak openly, online, or with friends in the fencing community.”
USA Fencing Chair Damien Lehfeldt, who claimed in an August 2023 blog post that “transgender women are women and gender is not sex” said that he hopes Turner reconsiders her time away from fencing — but declined to apologize when prompted by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC).
“Miss Turner … remains free to enter tournaments and free to compete,” he said.
Lehfeldt also argued that concerns over transgender athletes in fencing are moot because USA Fencing also puts on mixed gender competitions — even though the event in which Turner and Sullivan were matched was specifically for women and not mixed-gender.
Turner accused USA Fencing of being “unbelievably demeaning” by attributing female losses to transgender competitors to a “skill issue.”
“Within the USA Fencing authoritative body, there is a culture of intimidation towards women which demands that we be silent when men enter our tournaments,” she added. “A culture that includes public humiliation, doxxing, social ostracization, dismissal and even threats.”
GOP lawmakers on the panel took turns showering praise on Turner and her fellow witness, former volleyball player Payton McNabb, for their “bravery,” while delivering stern rebukes of Lehfeldt.
“Female athletes should never be forced to compete against mentally ill, biological men who parade around in women’s clothes,” subcommittee chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) stressed during the hearing.
“No one is here today to harm transgenders,” she added. “We are here to defend girls and women, and we are here to defend Title IV and to uphold President Trump’s executive order that all biological males stay out of girls and women’s sports.”
McNabb was knocked out during a high school volleyball game three years ago after a transgender rival spiked a ball in her face — and recounted feeling “helpless” when she found out a biological male was being allowed to compete.
“Neither my team nor the administration agreed that we should be playing against a male,” she said. “But the game went on.”
Since her initial injury, McNabb has suffered a concussion, vision problems and partial paralysis, among other health ailments.
“It is completely aggravating because the injury I suffered was 100% avoidable if only my rights as a female athlete had been more important than a man’s feelings,” said McNabb, who is now an ambassador for the Independent Women’s Forum.
Meanwhile Democrats repeatedly tried to undercut the hearing and needle Republicans for have the DOGE panel look into transgenderism.
“We’re not even gonna call it the DOGE subcommittee anymore. This is called the Fencing Oversight Committee,” Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), the top Democrat on the panel, chided at one point after unsuccessfully trying to adjourn the hearing early.
At the end of the hearing, Stansbury acknowledged Turner’s and McNabb’s experiences, but declined to call for women’s sports to be protected.
“I am genuinely sorry to hear that both of our young lady witnesses who are here today had horrible experiences,” she said. “And I want to acknowledge that … but I don’t need a bunch of GOP, Republican colleagues mansplaining at me for three hours.”
Democrats brought Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, as their chief witness.
When pressed about the physical differences between men and women by House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), Goss Graves downplayed the distinctions.
“I think where you’re trying to go is, is there an inherent … difference between men and women in all contexts? And the answer is no,” she said during a tense exchange.
Mace, who like McClain was granted permission to join the hearing despite not being on the panel, also grilled Goss Graves.
“Mrs. Goss Graves, do women have penises,” a stern-looking Mace asked, with her glasses perched halfway down her nose. “Should young girls just get used to penises in their locker rooms and showers?”
After getting cut off from answering, Goss Graces shot back, “You don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
Mace later chided, “That’s what you all are — groomers.”
