Ted Cruz threatens USA Fencing with congressional action if it doesn’t exclude trans women

US Republican Senator Ted Cruz has vowed to investigate USA Fencing after it reaffirmed a commitment to trans inclusion in competitive sports.

The sport’s governing body in the US said it remains committed to inclusivity and respect after athlete Stephanie Turner, 31, refused to compete against trans competitor Redmond Sullivan during a tournament last month.

While competing at the University of Maryland’s Cherry Blossom tournament, Turner was disqualified for violating an International Fencing Federation (FIE) policy which disallows competitors to refuse competition against a valid opponent for any reason.

The story was shared across a variety of right-wing publications, several of which wrongly claimed that Turner was disqualified for “transphobia’.