American fences were criticized after a viral video of the female female Stephanie Turner on his knees to protest a transgender opponent.
Important characters, including JK Rowling and Martina Navratilova, weighed on social networks, alongside thousands of female sport rights activists.
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Fencer Stephanie Sullivan kneels before a fencing manager in the United States. (Gracefulness of icons)
USA Fencing approached controversy with a public declaration Thursday, defending its trans-inclusion policies.
“American fencing remains determined to promote an inclusive and respectful community for everyone in our sport. We believe in the principle of creating safe communities where all athletes and community members have a place,” the statement said.
“Although we understand that there is a range of perspectives, American fences will continue to engage in a respectful dialogue and based on research and examination as politics evolves in the Olympic and Paralympic movement as well as domestic law, hate speech of all kinds is not acceptable – in person or in person. Let us keep the respectful conversation and the band of all time.”
How did the USA fences come to this point?
The organization first promulgated its current trans-inclusion policy in 2023. It allows transgender athletes to participate in the female category at the junior and senior level after having finished a calendar year of testosterone suppression treatment. Proof of compliant hormone therapy must be provided before competition, but the organization has taken other measures to prioritize its trans competitors.
In November 2022, he announced a policy Prefer during the selection of host cities for national tournaments to laws without laws which “harm members of LGBTQ communities” and to states which do not have “laws undermining the reproductive health of women”. This policy came into force during the 2023 season, the same year, it changed its gender policy.
“We have heard a certain number of members, including members of the board of directors and members of our community of elite athletes, asking whether the laws on anti-LGBTQ laws or anti-abortion laws align with our fundamental values as an organization,” said the CEO of fencing by USA Phill Andrews in the policy page. “After a solid discussion with our board of directors and our staff team, USA Fencing decided to prefer these states without these laws.”
In November 2023, the organization published a list of states which it intended to “avoid as far as possible” and the states that it would not allow to organize major events. The States on the “Do not auther” list were Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.
Who is Stephanie Turner? Fencer of women who knelt to protest against the trans adversary and inflamed the global conscience
States on its list “avoid as much as possible” include Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Carolina, Dakota of the North, Ohio, Utah, Virginia-Western, Wyoming, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana Kentucky, South, South, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Virginie-Western.
This combination of policies has preceded an influx of organic male shooters who participate in the events of the fencing of women and girls in the United States in the past two years. Some of these competitors have already participated in the men’s category. In September 2023, four male organic shooters, who previously participated in the male category, produced American fence podiums in the women’s category.
Turner told PK Press Club Digital that the quantity of trans competitors was even higher than that.
“In fencing, personally, I see it quite often,” said Turner. “I attended transgender shooters in female tournaments and girls’ tournaments in different age categories, in particular Y-14 (the youngest age group).”
The TRANS Turner athlete refused to compete with last weekend, Redmond Sullivan, participated in male events until June 2023, according to Sullivan’s profile page on Fencing Tracker. The page shows no competition for Sullivan from June 2023 until a return on September 28, 2024 – the first competition of the athlete in the female category during an event in Newtown, Connecticut. Sullivan then won two gold medals, one to the junior Olympic qualifications of the Connecticut division on December 8 and one to the national summer qualifications of the Connecticut division on March 16.
Last December, an organization of non -profit fences, the organization of fair fences, wrote an open letter to Escorification of the United States The members of the board of directors urging the reassessment of its position on several questions, in particular transgender inclusion.
“Aside from politics, it is a reasonable demand to form a working group to dive more deeply on this question in fencing and create a safe space where the voices of all women are heard without ridiculous and abuse,” said the letter.
A few days later, however, the members of the board of directors voted against several requests to approve a fully female working group to reassess and revise the current transgender policy, during a vote of 8-3. From now on, after taking the siege of firing women who seek protection against trans inclusion, American fences are plunged into global controversy after the viral protest of Turner.
USA Fencing provided a statement to PK Press Club Digital sending the incident.
“American fences promulgated our current transgender and non -binary athletes in 2023. The policy was designed to extend access to fencing sport and create inclusive and safe spaces. Politics is based on the principle that everyone should have the possibility of participating in sports and was based on the available research of the day,” said the press release.
“We respect the points of view on all sides and encourage our members to continue sharing them with us as the question evolves. It is important for the community of fences to engage in this dialogue, but we expect this conversation to be held respectfully, whether during our tournaments or in online spaces. The way to progress is out of discussion.”
A spokesperson for fencing in the United States also said that PK Press Club Digital Turner had not been penalized for his position against trans inclusion, but simply for refusing to close.
“In the case of Stephanie Turner, his disqualification was not linked to any personal declaration, but was only the direct result of his decision to refuse to close an eligible opponent, which the rules of the fie clearly prohibit,” said the spokesman.
“According to the technical rules of fie (Fénération of international fences), in particular article T.113, a shooter is not authorized to refuse to close another closure correctly entered for any reason whatsoever. Under these rules, such a refusal leads to disqualification and corresponding sanctions. This policy exists to maintain the standards of equitable competition and preserve the integrity of the sport.” “”
