Female fencer who took a knee rather than face trans athlete recalls ‘betrayal' by sport's boss: ‘I cried the whole night'
Stephanie Turner, 31, took a knee instead of fencing against Redmond Sullivan, a 20-year-old who was born biologically male, at USA Fencing's Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland on March 30.
In addition to forfeiting the match, Turner was hit with a 12-month probation period, causing her to step away from the sport.
Advertisement
The night before the scheduled match against Sullivan, Turner recalled to the House DOGE subcommittee, 'I cried the whole night and again felt betrayed by USA Fencing.'
'I had already spent the money on competition fees and new equipment, and spent hours training and refurbishing my equipment,' she explained. 'I felt trapped. I had been defrauded of a women's tournament and sold a lie by USA Fencing.'
'I had felt so isolated and strangled by USA Fencing for disagreeing with this transgender policy that I felt scared to speak openly, online, or with friends in the fencing community.'
Advertisement
USA Fencing Chair Damien Lehfeldt, who claimed in an August 2023 blog post that 'transgender women are women and gender is not sex' said that he hopes Turner reconsiders her time away from fencing — but declined to apologize when prompted by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC).
5 Payton McNabb was previously a guest at President Trump's speech to Congress in March.
AP
'Miss Turner … remains free to enter tournaments and free to compete,' he said.
Lehfeldt also argued that concerns over transgender athletes in fencing are moot because USA Fencing also puts on mixed gender competitions — even though the event in which Turner and Sullivan were matched was specifically for women and not mixed-gender.
Advertisement
Turner accused USA Fencing of being 'unbelievably demeaning' by attributing female losses to transgender competitors to a 'skill issue.'
'Within the USA Fencing authoritative body, there is a culture of intimidation towards women which demands that we be silent when men enter our tournaments,' she added. 'A culture that includes public humiliation, doxxing, social ostracization, dismissal and even threats.'
GOP lawmakers on the panel took turns showering praise on Turner and her fellow witness, former volleyball player Payton McNabb, for their 'bravery,' while delivering stern rebukes of Lehfeldt.
5 Stephanie Turner ripped into USA Fencing's treatment of her concerns about transgender competition.
AFP via Getty Images
Advertisement
'Female athletes should never be forced to compete against mentally ill, biological men who parade around in women's clothes,' subcommittee chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) stressed during the hearing.
'No one is here today to harm transgenders,' she added. 'We are here to defend girls and women, and we are here to defend Title IV and to uphold President Trump's executive order that all biological males stay out of girls and women's sports.'
McNabb was knocked out during a high school volleyball game three years ago after a transgender rival spiked a ball in her face — and recounted feeling 'helpless' when she found out a biological male was being allowed to compete.
5 USA Fencing board director Damien Lehfeldt had been an outspoken defender of the sport organization's transgender policies.
Getty Images
'Neither my team nor the administration agreed that we should be playing against a male,' she said. 'But the game went on.'
Since her initial injury, McNabb has suffered a concussion, vision problems and partial paralysis, among other health ailments.
'It is completely aggravating because the injury I suffered was 100% avoidable if only my rights as a female athlete had been more important than a man's feelings,' said McNabb, who is now an ambassador for the Independent Women's Forum.
5 Stephanie Turner dished on the anguish she went through when she decided to protest against a transgender rival.
AFP via Getty Images
Advertisement
Meanwhile Democrats repeatedly tried to undercut the hearing and needle Republicans for have the DOGE panel look into transgenderism.
'We're not even gonna call it the DOGE subcommittee anymore. This is called the Fencing Oversight Committee,' Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), the top Democrat on the panel, chided at one point after unsuccessfully trying to adjourn the hearing early.
At the end of the hearing, Stansbury acknowledged Turner's and McNabb's experiences, but declined to call for women's sports to be protected.
'I am genuinely sorry to hear that both of our young lady witnesses who are here today had horrible experiences,' she said. 'And I want to acknowledge that … but I don't need a bunch of GOP, Republican colleagues mansplaining at me for three hours.'
Advertisement
Democrats brought Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women's Law Center, as their chief witness.
When pressed about the physical differences between men and women by House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), Goss Graves downplayed the distinctions.
5 The DOGE subcommittee hearing on female sports devolved into a bitter, partisan slugfest.
Getty Images
'I think where you're trying to go is, is there an inherent … difference between men and women in all contexts? And the answer is no,' she said during a tense exchange.
Advertisement
Mace, who like McClain was granted permission to join the hearing despite not being on the panel, also grilled Goss Graves.
'Mrs. Goss Graves, do women have penises,' a stern-looking Mace asked, with her glasses perched halfway down her nose. 'Should young girls just get used to penises in their locker rooms and showers?'
After getting cut off from answering, Goss Graces shot back, 'You don't even know what you're talking about.'
Mace later chided, 'That's what you all are — groomers.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
"You're A Loser": Yet Another Republican Was Booed By A Crowd At Their Town Hall After Following Trump's Agenda
Another Republican lawmaker has faced a cacophony of boos and jeers when coming face-to-face with the general public to defend President Donald Trump's legislative agenda. Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) felt the wrath of constituents over the huge tax and spending bill, the trade war, and the crackdown on immigration when speaking during a town hall in Chico, California, on Monday. Related: Tensions ran so high that LaMalfa, who was reportedly holding his first in-person forum in close to eight years, was repeatedly called a 'liar' when doing his utmost to justify the president's policies. LaMalfa joins a growing cast of GOP politicians who have been given a raucous reception when meeting voters. Earlier this month, Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.) was heckled relentlessly when confronted over Medicaid cuts, the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, and ICE detentions. LaMalfa, who represents a large rural area of Northern California, held the town hall despite GOP top brass ordering an end to in-person events because of the rise of so-called 'professional protesters.' Related: A major flashpoint in Chico came when a constituent asked LaMalfa, 'Why are you part of this movement toward fascism?' After LaMalfa asked him to 'stop right there,' the constituent continued with his actual question. He went on: 'If you're not here to announce your resignation, why aren't you here to apologize to the farmers of the North State because of your support for the Trump tariffs?' 'Do you actually want to talk about something productive?' LaMalfa replied, before suggesting the inquiry was 'grandstanding.' Related: Against a backdrop of jeering and a distinct cry of 'You're a loser, Doug,' the congressman outlined how farmers in India had undercut growers in the region, so someone needed to be 'bold enough' to take action on tariffs. 'You're a little loose with the word 'fascism' when there's plenty of it going on on the other side of the aisle,' LaMalfa added, without giving details on the Democratic Party., LaMalfa was also drowned out by boos when delivering the standard Republican line about eliminating 'waste and fraud' to justify cutting Medicaid. @MorePerfectUS / Via Twitter: @MorePerfectUS Related: 'We don't want anybody to be harmed by this effort,' he said. 'Indeed, we want the focus to be on those folks that actually do qualify. And that will be a bigger win for them.' 'You liar!' was one audible response among the dissonance. Also at the town hall, an attendee who said their parents were Holocaust survivors compared Japanese internment camps of World War II to ICE raids and deportations under Trump. 'Will the name LaMalfa be mentioned in the same sentence as [Hitler's propaganda chief Joseph] Goebbels, [Nazi physician Josef] Mengele, and Trump?' the constituent asked. 'I predict no,' LaMalfa replied. Local ABC affiliate, KRCR News Channel 7, has broadcast the town hall in full. @KRCR7 This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Also in In the News: Also in In the News: Also in In the News:
Buzz Feed
14 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
GOP Rep Faces Angry Crowd at Town Hall Meeting
Another Republican lawmaker has faced a cacophony of boos and jeers when coming face-to-face with the general public to defend President Donald Trump's legislative agenda. Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) felt the wrath of constituents over the huge tax and spending bill, the trade war, and the crackdown on immigration when speaking during a town hall in Chico, California, on Monday. Tensions ran so high that LaMalfa, who was reportedly holding his first in-person forum in close to eight years, was repeatedly called a 'liar' when doing his utmost to justify the president's policies. LaMalfa joins a growing cast of GOP politicians who have been given a raucous reception when meeting voters. Earlier this month, Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.) was heckled relentlessly when confronted over Medicaid cuts, the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, and ICE detentions. PBS / Via LaMalfa, who represents a large rural area of Northern California, held the town hall despite GOP top brass ordering an end to in-person events because of the rise of so-called 'professional protesters.' A major flashpoint in Chico came when a constituent asked LaMalfa, 'Why are you part of this movement toward fascism?' After LaMalfa asked him to 'stop right there,' the constituent continued with his actual question. He went on: 'If you're not here to announce your resignation, why aren't you here to apologize to the farmers of the North State because of your support for the Trump tariffs?' 'Do you actually want to talk about something productive?' LaMalfa replied, before suggesting the inquiry was 'grandstanding.' Against a backdrop of jeering and a distinct cry of 'You're a loser, Doug,' the congressman outlined how farmers in India had undercut growers in the region, so someone needed to be 'bold enough' to take action on tariffs. 'You're a little loose with the word 'fascism' when there's plenty of it going on on the other side of the aisle,' LaMalfa added, without giving details on the Democratic Party., LaMalfa was also drowned out by boos when delivering the standard Republican line about eliminating 'waste and fraud' to justify cutting Medicaid. GOP Rep. Doug LaMalfa held a town hall — and was drowned out by an uproar of boos from constituents. When he tried to bring up Medicaid a constituent shouted: "YOU CUT OUR HEALTH CARE" — More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) August 11, 2025 @MorePerfectUS / Via Twitter: @MorePerfectUS 'We don't want anybody to be harmed by this effort,' he said. 'Indeed, we want the focus to be on those folks that actually do qualify. And that will be a bigger win for them.' 'You liar!' was one audible response among the dissonance. Also at the town hall, an attendee who said their parents were Holocaust survivors compared Japanese internment camps of World War II to ICE raids and deportations under Trump. 'Will the name LaMalfa be mentioned in the same sentence as [Hitler's propaganda chief Joseph] Goebbels, [Nazi physician Josef] Mengele, and Trump?' the constituent asked. 'I predict no,' LaMalfa replied.
Axios
14 minutes ago
- Axios
Scoop: Beshear wows Democrats at Jeffries' big donor fundraiser
Many Democrats left House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' annual California fundraising event last week convinced Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is running for president, according to four attendees. Why it matters: Democrats lapped up the message from the two-term governor, who told big dollar donors and vulnerable House Democrats that the key to winning over Trump voters is staying true to your values. Jeffries' event at the luxury Lodge at Torrey Pines is the successor to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi's wine-soaked summer donor party in Napa, California. Zoom in: Beshear's biggest applause line came when he explained why he vetoed a bill in 2023, when he was up for reelection, that restricted some medical care and bathroom use for transgender people. Beshear called it "the nastiest anti-trans bills in the nation — and I vetoed it," according to attendees. "There are some things worth losing over," Beshear said. Beshear went on to win by five percentage points in a deeply red state. Zoom out: Democrats are eager to find candidates – and messages – that they think will appeal to voters in red and blue states. Both Beshear and Jeffries spoke of the importance of authenticity and using words that voters actually use. Don't be afraid to say "addiction," Beshear said, when discussing the opioid crisis. Try to avoid using overly sanitized phrases like "substance abuse disorder," he counseled. Zoom in: In both public and private conversations, the looming mid-cycle redistricting battle was frequently discussed. Democrats promised their donors that they would respond to GOP gerrymander efforts. "We are working on an aggressive plan to make sure we fight fire with fire on redistricting," according to a member of Congress in attendance. Between the lines: Beshear adviser Eric Hyers told Axios: " Andy knows how critical it is that Democrats take back the House next year and was happy to join Leader Jeffries for a conversation about how Democrats can win tough elections." Go deeper: In addition to Jeffries, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) attended, along with roughly a dozen "Frontline" lawmakers and some California members. After Beshear's Friday night fireside chat with Jeffries, donors got a political update from DCCC chair Suzan DelBene and Mike Smith, the president of the House Majority PAC, which can accept unlimited donations. Jared Bernstein, former President Biden's former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and Wally Adeyemo, Biden's deputy treasury secretary, provided an economic overview. Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser, and Susan Rice, one of his domestic policy advisers, discussed foreign affairs and immigration. David Shor, a Democratic pollster, who spoke at a Senate Democratic retreat earlier this year, explained to the donors that many of their top priorities don't always line up with voter's concerns.
