NW Kentucky News

Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) has called a hearing for May 7, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. ET. The hearing will address USA Fencing's decision to allow biological males to participate in women's events. Greene has invited Stephanie Turner, a fencer who protested against competing with a biological male, and Damien Lehfeldt, the Board Chair of USA Fencing, to testify.

Turner recently participated in a protest by refusing to compete against a biological male at a Maryland USA Fencing tournament. This action led to her exclusion and suspension from the event. USA Fencing later affirmed its commitment to inclusivity. Lehfeldt, who has a history of supporting the inclusion of biological males in women's sports, acknowledges they may have a physical advantage.

Greene stated, "Women’s sports are for women only. Radical leftists pushing to let biological men compete against women are destroying fair competition and putting female athletes in physical danger. Stephanie Turner had the courage to call out this insanity, and she’s a hero to women across America. USA Fencing must be held accountable for demeaning women and denying them of the chance to succeed in their own sport. It is out of compliance with President Trump’s executive order and it should not be recognized as the National Governing Body for fencing if it continues to defy the law."

USA Fencing is the recognized National Governing Body for fencing in the United States and is required to comply with rules and procedures set by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. It must also adhere to its statutory obligations to protect women under Title IX and comply with President Trump's Executive Order on Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon has announced that the Title IX investigations team will be looking into the USA Fencing incident.