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EXCLUSIVE: Fencer Stéphanie Turner became a leading campaigner for protecting women’s sports in 2025 after images of her kneeling in protest against a transgender opponent went viral in April.
This was the last USA Fencing competition she competed in. In the nine months that followed, USA Fencing came under intense scrutiny. congressional hearingfaced multiple lawsuits over the issue of trans inclusion, changed its gender eligibility policy to only allow women to compete in women’s competitions, replaced the president of its board of directors and even issued a statement acknowledging that it is seeking to earn the trust of its athletes and fans after a year of controversy.
But Turner suggested she was seeking more reassurance when asked by PK Press Club Digital if she would consider returning to competitive fencing in the United States following the recent changes.
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“This change in leadership at USA Fencing is just a game of musical chairs. These board members are cut from the same cloth and, left unchecked, they will resort to the same policies that got them a congressional hearing in the first place. Because of the pending lawsuits, I prefer to return when the dust has settled,” Turner said.
USA Fencing responded if Turner would be welcome back.
“USA Fencing welcomes participation from any eligible athlete who meets our current membership requirements and competition rules. Our goal remains to foster a safe, respectful and positive environment for everyone involved in the sport,” the organization said in a statement provided to PK Press Club Digital.
When Turner knelt in protest against a transgender fencer at the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland the last weekend of March, she received a black card — the sport’s harshest sanction. She was disqualified from the event, escorted from the venue, and then placed on probation for 12 months by the organization.
But Turner chose to step away from the organization completely and focus her attention on activism to protect women’s sports.
Turner testified before the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) subcommittee hearing on transgender athletes, who have become a major flashpoint in the political conflict over the protection of women’s sports in the United States
US Fencing seeks to ‘earn the trust’ of athletes and fans after a year plagued by transgender controversies
Turner previously told PK Press Club Digital after the May hearing that she would work to push for leadership changes within USA Fencing after stepping away from the sport.
“I’m going to push for people to resign, to be honest. I would like to see some people resign for comments they’ve made, especially publicly, that are harassing and intended to humiliate the women and mothers and daughters involved,” Turner said.
The USA Fencing Board of Directors subsequently voted to change its policy that priority states with LGBTQ-friendly laws for competition hosting venues and a policy that could have prevented the playing of the national anthem at certain events at its June 7 meeting.
Then, in July, USA Fencing changed its transgender participation policy to allow only female competitors to compete in the women’s category. The change was made to ensure compliance with the USOPC’s new athlete safety policy, which now cites the president Donald Trumpof the decree “Keep men away from women’s sports”.
In October, former USA Fencing board chairman Damien Lehfeldt declined to run for reelection. Paralympic medalist Dr. Scott Rodgers has been elected as the organization’s new president, becoming the first active athlete and first para fencer to lead the board of directors.
In late November, USA Fencing made a statement to PK Press Club Digital, expressing its desire to earn the trust of fans and athletes.
“USA Fencing remains deeply committed to earning and maintaining the trust of our athletes, our fans and the broader fencing community. The election of Dr. Scott Rodgers as Chairman of the Board of Directors reflects our commitment to athlete-centered governance and the continued growth of fencing at all levels,” the release said. “We recognize the challenges of the past few months and strive to move forward with integrity, transparency and a clear vision for the future.”
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U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) (center) speaks to Stephanie Turner (left) and Payton McNabb (right) during the hearing on “Foul Play: Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” held by the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) Subcommittee at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, District of Columbia, May 7, 2025. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
USA Fencing will develop this sport NCAA levelannouncing that Arcadia University of Pennsylvania and Fairleigh Dickinson University of New Jersey will add men’s and women’s fencing teams to their varsity sports, beginning in fall 2027.
The organization is currently continued by American Olympic fencer Margherita Guzzi Vincenti, alongside competitive fencers Emma Griffin and Patricia Hughes, who claim that American fencing knowingly allowed biological males to compete in the women’s divisions while announcing women’s-only events at the 2025 North American Cup (NAC) in Kansas City, Missouri, in January.
