Stephanie Turner Stands Up For Women’s Sports By Kneeling Out

 

 https://x.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1907530614498029749

Women's fencer opens up on refusing to face transgender opponent, accepting punishment and backlash.
Turner says the issue has turned her from a lifelong Democrat to a conservative Republican.
Ahead of a bout at the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland over the weekend, Turner, 31, made the decision not to compete against trans athlete (MALE) Redmond Sullivan. And Turner also wanted to make sure her refusal was caught on video for the world to see.
Turner came to the decision the night before the event when she checked the competition pools and saw that she would be competing against Sullivan, (a male) whom she had read about in an article last year.
"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,'" Turner told Fox News Digital.
Turner went through all her warm-ups that day and went on to fence in four bouts before her matchup with the trans athlete (MALE). When it came, she was "nervous and shaky," but was sure about her decision.
"I knew what I had to do because USA Fencing had not been listening to women's objections regarding [its gender eligibility policy]," Turner said.
"I took a knee immediately at that point. Redmond was under the impression that I was going to start fencing. So when I took the knee, I looked at the ref and I said, ‘I’m sorry, I cannot do this. I am a woman, and this is a man, and this is a women's tournament. And I will not fence this individual.'
"Redmond didn't hear me, and he comes up to me, and he thinks that I may be hurt, or he doesn't understand what's happening. He asks, ‘Are you OK?’ And I said, ‘I’m sorry. I have much love and respect for you, but I will not fence you."
And right after that, Turner's punishment by USA Fencing commenced.
"Redmond says to me, ‘Well you know, there is a member on the board of directors here who supports me, and there is a policy that acknowledges me as a woman, so I am allowed to fence, and you will get blackcarded,’ and I said, 'I know," Turner said.
Minutes later, the referees dealt Turner a black card, which represents the most severe penalty, leading to expulsion from the tournament or event for serious rule infractions or unsportsmanlike behavior.
Turner said she was then escorted to the bout committee where she had to explain what she did. She says the members then handed her a copy of the association's transgender policy and made her sign a document acknowledging the black card. Turner said she signed the document under objection.
Then, Turner was escorted out of the venue, she said.

Read the rest at:
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/womens-fencer-reveals-why-she-refused-face-transgender-opponent-accepting-punishment-backlash