Female Fencer Who Protested Trans Opponent Credits Christian Faith: 'Gave Me Peace'

Stephanie Turner, a Senior Women’s Foilest in USA Fencing, protested a transgender opponent by taking a knee. Over the weekend, the 31-year-old Turner was matched against Redmond Sullivan, a trans-identifying biological male, during The Cherry Blossom Open, hosted by USA Fencing.

Due to her actions, Turner was given a "black card," the most severe penalty in fencing. That meant she was disqualified from the tournament, had to be escorted off the premises, and could face suspension from future events. 

Despite the repercussions, Turner told OutKick that her Christian faith led her to take a stand against unfair competition. 

"I prayed to God and I just asked him for guidance and I called members of my church to help me to figure out what I wanted to do," Turner said. 

Turner said that, in the past, she would simply avoid events that had transgender fencers competing. But in this case, she decided to leave it in God's hands. 

"I prayed, and I said, ‘God, if this is something that you want me to do, please put Redmond in my pool round or my direct elimination and I will take a knee. "But, if this is not something that you want me to do, then... show me by not having… he and I fence face-to-face,’" she said. 

Of course, Turner and Sullivan were eventually paired against one another and Turner followed through with her protest. 

"There [was] a potential I was never going to face him, and then I'd never forfeit. And then there was the option that he'd end up in my pool, and then I'd forfeit, and I took that as a sign from God that that's what he wanted me to do. When it happened, I took the knee," she added. 

Stephanie Turner told OutKick that she is new to the Christian faith, but found that following Jesus gave her more