Female fencer who was given severe punishment for refusing to partake with transgender opponent speaks out

Warning: This article contains discussion of discrimination against the trans community which some readers may find distressing.

A sportswoman disqualified from a fencing competition after refusing to face a transgender opponent claims she acted for her ‘own physical safety’ with the hopes of raising concerns within governing bodies.

Fencing Academy of Philadelphia team member Stephanie Turner has sparked mass debate online after throwing a match in Maryland.

The 31-year-old was due to face 20-year-old Redmond Sullivan at the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland on March 30.

However, she was given a black card by a referee after she refused to fight Redmond, a transgender athlete competing for the University of Maryland, as per ABC News.

According to the Academy of Fencing Masters, a black card marks the ‘definitive and negative end of competition for a fencer’ who has broken the code of honor. It’s considered a severe punishment in the sport.

Refusing to face Sullivan in the USA Fencing-sanctioned regional, Turner removed her mask and took the knee on the piste.

Then, she informed her opponent they would not be squaring off against each other.

The fencer’s display at the Maryland competition – which was not an NCAA tournament – caused her disqualification after four other successful bouts with other opponents.

Turner has now spoken out on the situation, alleging she didn’t want to ‘get hurt’ by Sullivan.

“I did this for my own physical safety, because this is a combat sport – and, in competition setting, men do fence a lot harder than women and I don’t want to get hurt,” Turner told the New York Post.