Latest news with #Lehfeldt
Newsweek
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Who Is Damien Lehfeldt? USA Fencing Chief Attacked Over Transgender Rules
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Damien Lehfeldt, of the organization USA Fencing, testified in Congress yesterday during a hearing which examined the participation of transgender women in sport. He was questioned by House Republicans on his views on the matter, which has become one of the most contentious issues in sport. He said that transgender participation in fencing posed no greater safety risks than single or mixed-gender participation. Newsweek has reached out to USA Fencing via email for comment outside of regular working hours. Why It Matters The hearing comes amid a broader conversation about transgender women in sport, which is playing out across the world. Since his reelection, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order which banned transgender female athletes from competing in women's or girls' sports. Organizations such as the English Football Association, the regulatory body for soccer in the country, have put in place similar bans. USA Fencing board director Damien Lehfeldt speaks during the hearing on 'Unfair Play: Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" at the U.S. Capitol on May 7, 2025. in Washington, DC. USA Fencing board director Damien Lehfeldt speaks during the hearing on 'Unfair Play: Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" at the U.S. Capitol on May 7, 2025. in Washington, To Know Lehfeldt spoke at the at the hearing on "Unfair Play: Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" held by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee at the U.S. Capitol. The decision from House Republicans to subpoena Lehfeldt follows an incident in March of this year. During USA Fencing's Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland on March 30, a fencer named Stephanie Turner took a knee rather than competing against a 20-year-old transgender woman, Redmond Sullivan. Turner forfeited the match and was hit with a 12-month probation period from the sport. USA Fencing rules stipulate that a fencer cannot refuse to compete against any qualified fencer who has entered a tournament. Any fencer who violates this rule is then automatically placed on a 12-month probation. The current policy of USA Fencing, which has been in place since 2023 allows transgender and nonbinary individuals to compete "in a manner consistent with their gender identity/ expression, regardless of the gender associated with the sex they were assigned at birth." Lehfeldt was questioned on this policy in Congress by lawmakers including Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Nancy Mace. Who Is Stephanie Turner? Turner is a 31-year-old fencer. The video of her refusing to compete against Sullivan went viral, and she has been commended by figures including J.K. Rowling and Mace, both of whom are known for their vocal opinions on trans people, for her decision not to compete. Turner told Fox News of her decision, "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." Speaking to the House DOGE subcommittee, she said that she felt betrayed by USA Fencing. "I had been defrauded of a women's tournament and sold a lie by USA Fencing she said." Turner added that she felt "isolated" and "strangled," by USA Fencing for disagreeing with their transgender policy. Who Is Damien Lefheldt? Lehfeldt is the chair of the board of directors for USA Fencing, which is the national governing body which oversees fencing in the U.S. He was elected to the organization's board of directors in 2023 and has served as chair since 2024. He has expressed support for transgender women in sport, though USA Fencing's policy on transgender women predates his position on the board. In a statement shared at the subcommittee, Lehfeldt said: "USA Fencing has long sponsored mixed-gender competitions in which men and women freely compete against each other. Indeed, the majority of USA Fencing tournaments—particularly at the local level—are mixed-gender competitions." The statement continued: "That significant body of experience has taught us that mixed-gender competition, in fencing at least, does not pose any significant safety risks above and beyond single-gender fencing competition. The same is true for fencing involving transgender participation." Lehfeldt's involvement in fencing spans decades. He began his journey as a young épée fencer, competing through his college years at Brandeis University and participating in events like the Maccabi Games. He later moved into coaching, including a tenure at the Richmond Fencing Club. What People Are Saying J.K. Rowling, the writer on X: "This woman will go down in sporting history as a heroine and USA Fencing will be remembered for their profound misogyny for forcing her and other women, into this situation." Shane Diamond, GLAAD's director of communications and transgender advocacy, said in an email shared with Newsweek: "Sport is a human right and should remain open and accessible to anyone who wants to participate, inclusive of their gender identity. " Representative Nancy Mace on X: "I asked if Fencing's Chair Damein Lehfeldt would apologize to women's fencing hero Stephanie Turner. For how they treated her for standing up for herself and standing against men in women's fencing. He refused. Real men protect women. This guy ain't one." Damien Lehfeldt, Chair of the Board of Directors of USA Fencing in a statement: "USA Fencing is committed to fairness, safety, and integrity. Those remain the organization's guiding principles. USA Fencing also is committed to complying with its obligations under the law. If the law and evidence around this issue change, so, too, will USA Fencing's policies." Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene on X: "I asked if USA Fencing's Chair Damien Lehfeldt would want his daughter changing in front of a man. He couldn't say "NO." That tells you EVERYTHING. These people have lost all common sense." What's Next Trump's executive order has reshaped transgender inclusion in sports. The future remains uncertain and the debate over fairness, inclusion, and athlete rights continues.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House Republicans subpoena USA fencing chairman with history of supporting trans competitors in women's sports
House Republicans have subpoenaed USA Fencing (USFA) board chair Damien Lehfeldt in an effort to compel him to testify in front of Congress during a hearing examining the participation of transgender women in biologically women's sports. The subpoena comes after USA Fencing's Chief Executive Officer Phil Andrews told the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, which intends to hold the hearing on May 7, that Lehfeldt would be unavailable to testify for unspecified reasons, according to a letter sent in tandem with the subpoena. Lehfeldt's apparent refusal to cooperate comes after he allegedly made public statements online indicating he had intended to be present at the hearing. "Under the Ted Stevens Act, an [National Governing Body]—such as USFA—is required to provide equal opportunities to athletes regardless of sex when engaged in developing interest and participation in the sport it governs throughout the United States," the letter accompanying the subpoena stated, signed by GOP House Oversight Chairman James Comer. Female Fencer Defends Protest Against Transgender Opponent "The Subcommittee is concerned that the policies of USFA may not uphold these obligations and that the underlying law is not accomplishing its intended purpose. Therefore, the Subcommittee is investigating whether additional legislation regarding requirements of NGBs of amateur sports, like USFA, is necessary to address these issues." Lehfeldt and Andrews have both publicly expressed their support for allowing transgender women to compete on biological women's sports teams. House Republicans' decision to subpoena Lehfeldt follows an incident when a female fencer named Stephanie Turner was punished by USA Fencing for refusing to compete against a transgender competitor earlier this year. Read On The Fox News App Turner, during a regional meet in March, refused to compete against a transgender competitor who had previously competed in the men's division. A video of her taking a symbolic knee at the start of the match, eventually earning her a "black card," fencing's most severe penalty, went viral following the incident. Turner was ultimately disqualified from the event and escorted out of the venue immediately following her act of civil disobedience. England Sports Governing Body Bans Transgender Athletes From Women's Soccer Following Uk Court Ruling "In fencing, personally, I see it quite often," Turner said following the incident. "I have witnessed transgender fencers in women's tournaments and girls' tournaments in different age categories, specifically Y-14 (the youngest age group)." The letter accompanying Lehfeldt's subpoena said the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency requested multiple times that Lehfeldt provide an explanation for why he would not be in attendance to testify during the May 7 hearing. The letter said it exhausted several options to accommodate the USA Fencing board chair, including considering moving the date of the hearing and providing Lehfeldt extra time to obtain legal representation. USA Fencing's counsel subsequently asked the subcommittee whether it would be open to considering alternative witnesses, to which the committee said it would if they were made available on May 7. However, no reason for Lehfeldt's unwillingness to testify was provided, according to House Republicans. Mark Cuban Weighs In On Transgender Athletes In Women's Sports: 'People Just Aren't Ready' Several days later USA Fencing indicated Andrews would be willing to participate in Lehfeldt's place, if the hearing could be moved two days later to May 9, according to House Republicans. A day later, they said, Lehfeldt indicated to the subcommittee that he was formally declining to testify. "While counsel for USFA did explain why they believed Mr. Andrews would be better suited to appear on behalf of the organization, their rationale for why Mr. Lehfeldt would not be a helpful witness was unpersuasive," the subpoena letter stated. "To date, neither Mr. Lehfeldt nor anyone speaking on his behalf has provided any legitimate rationale for his refusal to testify." "Mr. Lehfeldt is best positioned to discuss the current, past, and future policies of USFA––especially those policies related to transgender women competing in women's sports," the letter continued. "Information about the policies, strategic plan, and mission of USFA is necessary to advance the Subcommittee's oversight and legislative purposes." In a statement to Fox News Digital USA Fencing's Director of Communications Bryan Wendell confirmed receipt of the House GOP subpoena, adding that they will "of course comply with it." "Board Chair Damien Lehfeldt looks forward to appearing on May 7 to answer the DOGE Subcommittee's questions," Wendell concluded. "We will have no further comment until after the hearing."Original article source: House Republicans subpoena USA fencing chairman with history of supporting trans competitors in women's sports
Fox News
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
House Republicans subpoena USA fencing chairman with history of supporting trans competitors in women's sports
House Republicans have subpoenaed USA Fencing (USFA) board chair Damien Lehfeldt in an effort to compel him to testify in front of Congress during a hearing examining the participation of transgender women in biologically women's sports. The subpoena comes after USA Fencing's Chief Executive Officer Phil Andrews told the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, which intends to hold the hearing on May 7, that Lehfeldt would be unavailable to testify for unspecified reasons, according to a letter sent in tandem with the subpoena. Lehfeldt's apparent refusal to cooperate comes after he allegedly made public statements online indicating he had intended to be present at the hearing. "Under the Ted Stevens Act, an [National Governing Body]—such as USFA—is required to provide equal opportunities to athletes regardless of sex when engaged in developing interest and participation in the sport it governs throughout the United States," the letter accompanying the subpoena, signed by GOP House Oversight Chairman James Comer. "The Subcommittee is concerned that the policies of USFA may not uphold these obligations and that the underlying law is not accomplishing its intended purpose. Therefore, the Subcommittee is investigating whether additional legislation regarding requirements of NGBs of amateur sports, like USFA, is necessary to address these issues." Lehfeldt and Andrews have both publicly expressed their support for allowing transgender women to compete on biological women's sports teams. House Republicans' decision to subpoena Lehfeldt follows an incident when a female fencer named Stephanie Turner was punished by USA Fencing for refusing to compete against a transgender competitor earlier this year. Turner, during a regional meet in March, refused to compete against a transgender competitor who previously had competed in the men's division. A video of her taking a symbolic knee at the start of the match, eventually earning her a "black card," fencing's most severe penalty, went viral following the incident. "In fencing, personally, I see it quite often," Turner said following the incident. "I have witnessed transgender fencers in women's tournaments and girls' tournaments in different age categories, specifically Y-14 (the youngest age group)." Fox News Digital reached out to USA Fencing for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
