‘Unfair’: Critics cry foul as two men compete in women’s fencing championship

Two men competed in the USA Fencing championships over the weekend, just two weeks after another fencer took a knee rather than face a male opponent, pro-woman website Reduxx.info reports.

Annika Suchoski, 40, and Daniel “Anne” Crocket, who is believed to be 66, competed in their respective age categories at the tournament this weekend in Los Angeles.

Protestors, including one holding a sign that read “Rosa (Parks) Sat / Women Stand / No Men in Women’s Sports,” attended the event to voice their displeasure.

The statement echoed the message of fencer Stephanie Turner, 31, who took a knee in another tournament rather than fight Redmond Sullivan, a man who identifies as a woman. She urged women to “speak up and take action if they feel unsafe in competition or witness unfairness.

“You have the right to stand up for yourself, whether by voicing concerns to US Fencing Association officials and peers or choosing not to fence,” she told Reduxx. “We have an opportunity to get our sport back, one that should not be wasted.” 

USA Fencing announced its transgender policy in late 2022 that allows athletes to compete based on their so-called “gender identity.” 

Turner said she was hesitant to protest to league officials before the tournament that included Sullivan because she feared she would never “have a fair bout in my life” since the organization’s leadership supported men in women’s sports. 

“I would lose favor within the sight of referees and I could end up with a biased bout. I could lose friends who I don’t know what their position is on this. So what I was doing already was just avoiding tournaments where I knew there was a transgender fencer. But at this point, what else should I do? Should I just not sign up for any tournaments? I have no other options.” 

Crocket, one of this weekend’s transgender fencers, is on the body’s assignment committee for referees, meaning he helps control hiring of referees for eight national tournaments held annually, including this weekend’s. He also sits on the Rules and Examinations Committee, which maintains the body’s rulebook. 

Other USA Fencing leaders have expressed strong pro-trans sentiments, Reduxx reported, and one even mocked critics of the policy with “Dear Dorothy, the year is 2023 and as it turns out, you’re not in Kansas anymore.” 

But scrutiny is mounting. 

Last week, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas sent the body a letter demanding to know why it still allows transgender athletes in women’s sports, alleging it is violating federal law. 

Failure to protect women and ensure separate divisions “is grounds for the United States Congress to terminate USA Fencing’s certification as a (national governing body),” the Republican wrote, also noting the need for compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order prohibiting men in women’s sports. 

One day after Cruz’s letter, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into the body for potential violations of state law. 

“USA Fencing’s policies are not only potentially illegal, but also deeply insulting to the young women like Stephanie Turner who have sacrificed so much and dedicated countless hours to compete and succeed in competitions,” Paxton wrote. “I will fight to stop these unfair policies, and I will never back down from defending the integrity of women’s sports.” 

The body responded to Cruz’s letter by saying its policies were “designed to expand access to the sport of fencing and create inclusive, safe spaces,” and that it would “always err on the side of inclusion,” although it was open to amending its rules based on research and wider trends at the Olympic and Paralympic level. 

Transgender fencers face significant advantages over biological women. 

Suchoski, who competed this weekend, started fencing one year ago but already took second place in a women’s tournament after just six months in the sport, the Independent Council on Women’s Sports reports. 

And Sullivan, who was quietly moved from the men’s to women’s team at Wagner College, improved his game significantly once he started competing against women. 

Sullivan is no longer on the women’s team, according to media reports following Turner’s action, and all records of him were scrubbed from the team’s website. It was not known if he left the team voluntarily or was removed, but a school statement said it was now in full compliance with Trump’s order, indicating the athlete may have been forced to leave.