USA Fencing Gives New Excuse For Allowing Males In Female Competitions

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Damien Lehfeldt, the Chairman of the USA Fencing Board of Directors, testified at a DOGE House Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday about the organization's policy that allows any male who "identifies" as a woman to compete in female events.

USA Fencing came under fire last month when Stephanie Turner, a woman, refused to face Redmond Sullivan, a "transgender woman" and biological male, in a women's fencing bout. Turner took a knee in protest rather than contest the match. 

Lehfeldt has a long and documented history of pushing to allow transgender athletes (biological males) in women's sports, something that Rep. Brandon Gill pushed him on. One of the many abhorrent things Lehfeldt has written online was comparing parents who don't want their daughters competing against – and using locker rooms with – males to members of the Ku Klux Clan. 

Lehfeldt spent the majority of his time at the hearing trying to soften his previous stances, or backtrack them completely. So, it's no surprise that USA Fencing is attempting to do the same. 

In a statement to OutKick, the organization said, essentially, that the policy is out of their control, and it's up to the federal government, the International Olympics Committee, or the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, to change the rules, not USA Fencing. 

"USA Fencing remains dedicated to maintaining a fair, respectful environment where every athlete can participate. Our current transgender and non-binary eligibility policy, adopted in 2023, reflects guidance from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC)," the statement read.

In a statement, USA Fencing said it allows transgender athletes (biological males) to compete in the women's category because, essentially, they have no choice.

In a statement, USA Fencing said it allows transgender athletes (biological males) to compete in the women's category because, essentially, they have no choice.

(Imagn Images)

"Because the Ted Stevens Act bars us from adopting participation requirements more stringent than those of our international federation (FIE), we must mirror that framework. Should Congress amend the Act, or the IOC/FIE change their standards, USA Fencing will adjust accordingly."

The statement also made it seem like USA Fencing has a policy to exclude transgender competitors (biological males) from women's events. However, they're not going to change anything until someone forces them to do so. 

"Because governing-body or federal requirements may change, the USA Fencing Board has pre-approved a contingency policy that would take effect if required by law or after our oversight organizations update their rules," the statement continued. "We recognize that viewpoints on this topic differ and will continue open dialogue with our community to ensure every athlete feels safe and respected." 

Ending the statement by talking about making sure "every athlete feels safe and respected" is quite interesting. It's clear that Stephanie Turner, the woman who was basically forced to give up her fencing career due to USA Fencing's transgender policy, doesn't feel "safe and respected." 

It seems that USA Fencing cares mostly that one group feels "safe and respected": men who "identify" as women. As for the actual women? Well, tough luck. They're going to need someone else to step up and force USA Fencing to do something that it's clearly unwilling to do on its own. 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.

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