The Minnesota division of USA Fencing announced that it will eliminate all women’s-only events for the time being and instead offer only mixed-gender competitions, citing the “harmful effects” of the national governing body’s new policy that excludes transgender athletes from competing in female categories.
“The recent changes in the USA Fencing Policy … [have] caused pain and confusion in the entire fencing community,” the division wrote. “As a division, we are required to follow national policies. But as an organization based in Minnesota, we are also bound by state law.”
The Minnesota division issued a public statement on July 30 as USA Fencing updated its “Transgender & Non‑Binary Participation Policy,” which took effect Aug. 1. The new policy restricts women’s events to “athletes who are of the female sex.” The change is the culmination of months of scrutiny, which began in April when fencer Stephanie Turner took a knee and refused to compete against a transgender opponent.
The policy aligns with U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) guidelines and restricts participation in women’s fencing events to athletes who are biologically female. “All sanctioned domestic events—national, regional, and local—must follow the policy,” the USA Fencing website outlines.
The Minnesota division referenced the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which protects so-called gender identity and expression. The state division said the new USA Fencing rules “appear to be in conflict with this law,” and that it is “currently seeking guidance on how to move forward without violating either.”
In the meantime, only mixed-gender events will be sanctioned in the state, according to the division’s July 30 statement.
The statement also talked about the local fencing division’s commitment to inclusion: “We know fencing has been a place of belonging for many who haven’t found it elsewhere. That matters … trans and nonbinary fencers belong here, and we see you.”
The change in USA Fencing’s policy follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump aimed at preserving women’s sports.
Multiple federal agencies have opened investigations into the Minnesota State High School League for continuing to allow biological males to compete in girls’ sports.
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
