US Fencing. Woman Disqualified for Refusing to Fence Against Trans Fencer

This is true.

A woman not making a public stand can be said to be supporting the policy. How many times have we seen just that?

Like the man this week in the UCU tribunal. No one has raised their feelings of not being safe for not agreeing with Uni and union policies… because women haven’t felt safe to make a stand they haven’t.

I suspect though that some posters tend to not understand that their posts are misogynistic, or maybe don’t care (or do know but that is a whole other discussion).

There is also the advantage that invisible women can’t be heard, and can’t be seen to be protesting either! Win, win, win for the sport.

Are they counting how many women self exclude and no longer even attempt to participate in that sport, when they 'widen inclusion'?

It's such bollocks. Invisible women can't be counted.

US Fencing, quoted in the Navratilova article, state that their trans policy is to widen inclusion and participation in the sport. Which is a noble thought, but surely if someone is keen to fence but is also desperate to transition they could still be easily accommodated as a fencer ( or indeed any other form of sport) under their sex category without losing face or respect - if that was written into the gender constitution of the sport and understood by everyone.

Makes you think that for Redmond the need to fence as a woman but possibly be beaten by other men who were better fencers was not as strong as the need to fence as a woman and be a winner against competitors physically disadvantaged by their sex.

Just throwing that out as a random thought, because of course for any serious sportsperson the sport comes first……

14. Women have all the rights they need: The right to remain silent.

Article in The Telegraph:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2025/04/06/transgender-row-fencer-stephanie-turner-interview/

And earlier comment from Martina Navratilova:
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/tennis-legend-martina-navratilova-fuming-after-female-fencer-punished-refusing-take-trans-athlete

If she had quietly withdrawn, no one would know

As she had done numerous times before from recent competitions. But nice to know that some posters really can understand that the male athletes could simply withdraw quietly from events they shouldn’t be competing in and not cause female athletes distress.

Or is it the service category of humans that the onus is on to accept their fate quietly?

She did it for maximum impact. If she had quietly withdrawn, no one would know

Quite.

It's a complete head scratcher why TRAs wish she had 'raised her concerns before then'

It is extraordinary to me that certain sections of the left treat consent as absolutely sacrosanct in some situations (rightly so), but completely disregard it in others when it suits them.

At least Christinapple has finally come round to the view that trans-identified males should withdraw from women's spaces as soon as women raise their concerns.

Sounds like the beginning of a grasp of the concept of consent.

Trapped wind maybe?

ETA - this is in reply to Waitwhat23.

This was a single sex competition. She didn't consent to competing against a man. Of course she should take a stand.

And to be clear, they are talking about phantom uteruses (uterii?) in men. Who have not and have never had a uterus.

'Cause hormones, or something.

Is it terrible that when I read Phantom uteruses, my mind automatically corrected it - Phantom uteruses zone. Then I pictured this.

Christinapple is just parroting the current TRA talking points. The current ones seem to be -

Fencing is mixed sex/why didn't she complain earlier

Riley Gaines is just jealous

Phantom uteruses

It's tedious but predictable.

🤣 Deliberately missing the point and trying to provoke a row about the best time to take the knee. It’s totally irrelevant.

We see what you’re doing, Christ in apple.

Why should she even have to be in this position in the first place?

Why should any female person have to be competing in sport against male people in a single sex sporting category?

Not true. In the news report I read from this thread, I think it said he was 24th of 36 in this tournament, so he must be utterly useless at fencing. It’s possibly why there aren’t more women taking a stand against him, but it’s very shortsighted, if so,

I used to fence up until the age of 18. We did, at under 16 have some mixed bouts, but you knew where you were. And also girls tournaments and boys tournaments. I didn't ever beat a boy, although it was useful training for me, and for them as I was a leftie, but got medals in the girls. The reach is a big thing.

If she faced another woman she would have competed.

She faced a male opponent. She was well within her rights to refuse him. She was well within her rights to say why.

Not when they’ve entered a Women’s competition.

If they choose to enter a Co-Ed competition then yes they would expect and consent to potentially be up against a man but if a woman enters the women’s competitions then why would they expect to be fighting against a man?

Why did she wait until the en guarde before taking the knee, instead of raising her concerns before then?

Isn't fencing a sport where men and women routinely compete against each other up to the highest levels?

It was mentioned in a video on YouTube that when he was fencing in the male category he never won once but since becoming 'a women' he's won everything.

The advantage of being male in fencing must be huge.

as is the risk for injury.
it's, despite the safety gear, a risky sport.