Finally, a victory for common sense: USA Fencing has reversed course on its ill-advised attempts to prioritize woke ideology over athletic competition. After months of justified outrage from athletes, parents, and lawmakers alike, the board of directors voted on Saturday to amend its controversial policies that prioritized LGBTQ-friendly states for hosting competitions and restricted playing the national anthem at events.
To refresh your memory, last year, USA Fencing adopted a policy explicitly giving preference to states whose laws aligned with a radical progressive agenda—particularly those deemed LGBTQ-friendly and supportive of abortion rights. Consequently, the organization blacklisted states such as Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and South Dakota, among others, harming communities that refused to bow to left-wing pressure. This blatant politicization had nothing to do with fencing and everything to do with pushing a divisive social agenda.
The outrage came to a boiling point when female fencer Stephanie Turner courageously took a stand, literally kneeling in protest against competing with a biological male opponent in Maryland this past March. For her principled stance, Turner faced disqualification and received a black card penalty. Her story resonated loudly, highlighting the absurdity and unfairness of USA Fencing’s ideological crusade. Turner’s bravery sparked global attention and forced many to question how far woke ideologues would go to dismantle women’s sports.
Federal lawmakers took notice, too, and rightly grilled USA Fencing Chair Damien Lehfeldt at a congressional hearing in early May. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia didn’t mince words, pointing directly at the organization’s discriminatory policies: “In selecting sites for its national fencing events, the board policy is to avoid states whose laws and policies on LGBTQ rights and abortion it opposes… it creates politically-determined winners and losers—but it has absolutely nothing to do with fencing.”
Now, USA Fencing claims to have seen the light—or at least felt the pressure. The new policy abandons woke virtue signaling and instead prioritizes common-sense criteria like cost, safety, and convenience for selecting host cities. In a statement, the organization said it “adopted a streamlined policy that applies criteria prioritizing cost, safety, and convenience to every national-event bid across all 50 states,” ensuring host cities meet “stringent member-safety and cost-efficiency standards.”
This reversal is significant. It proves once again that grassroots activism and political courage still matter. When parents, athletes, and conservative leaders unite against radical ideology, they can achieve meaningful victories. The woke agenda might dominate liberal media and academia, but real Americans still hold the power to push back against progressive overreach.
The board has also rectified another indefensible error by finally instituting a uniform national anthem policy. You read that right—until now, USA Fencing had disgracefully prohibited the playing of the anthem at certain competitions. Last December, the board even voted 8-2 against routinely playing the anthem, a decision that rightly sparked outrage among patriotic Americans. Thankfully, the new policy will now provide “consistent, respectful minimum guidance” for honoring our flag and anthem across all national tournaments, starting at the 2025 Summer Nationals.
Yet, the fight is far from over. USA Fencing’s transgender athlete policy remains unresolved, still allowing biological males to compete in women’s events. The board says it’s preparing changes—likely anticipating further pressure from oversight bodies and federal legislation. According to their own statement, if forced, the policy will mandate athletes compete according to their biological sex, ensuring women’s categories remain exclusively female.
Now is no time to relax. Conservatives and Americans who value fairness must remain vigilant and continue applying relentless pressure. This victory is proof that our voices matter—when we speak up, we can reclaim our institutions from progressives who seek to exploit them for political gain. Let’s keep fighting until every last shred of woke ideology is eradicated from American sports.