By Sarah Holliday

When Stephanie Turner refused to fence against a biological man, she knew it was only a matter of time before the backlash came. However, since her defiant stand for fairness and integrity in female athletics, she’s received more support than she ever expected.

Behind Turner stands a vibrant movement of enthusiastic advocates committed to the cause. Among those championing her are all-American swimmer Riley Gaines, the conservative group Concerned Women for America (CWA), Family Research Council, and countless others. While threats to the integrity of women’s and girls’ sports rarely escape the notice of female sports advocates, the resolute actions of those who refuse to yield to the leftist ideological takeover shine just as brightly. It was in this spirit that XX-XY Athletics honored Turner with the Courage Wins Champion Award on Monday.

“By taking a knee,” XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey wrote, “[Turner] became more powerful than any male. She stood her ground to fight for women’s sports. She’s a hero.” As part of this award, Fox reported, “Turner will receive $5,000 and be entered into a leadership program.” Sey emphasized the importance of taking “the sting out of monetary cancelation” by providing these courageous women with a supportive foundation. “They have community. They have support. They will not stand alone.”

Turner’s stand is just one of many, as athletes across the country face similar dilemmas. Ultimately, at the heart of the movement to safeguard female sports lie two central issues: 1) women being stripped of awards and titles due to the inherent biological edge men hold over women, and 2) the principle that women deserve an exclusive category, unencumbered by members of the opposite sex. Each act of resistance against transgender-identifying athletes typically intertwines arguments tackling both concerns, as evidenced by recent headlines.

For instance, a Washington Post (WaPo) article recently faced scrutiny after its author suggested men held no biological edge over women. “[T]hose supporting bans believe transgender girls have an unfair advantage over cisgender girls,” WaPo’s Karina Elwood wrote, before going on to explain how a specific trans-identifying discus thrower, Eliza Munshi, compared to other boys and their average throws. However, The Daily Wire noted, “The author did not include any information about the average throws made by the girls’ team” and how the biological male compared to them.

This omission drew sharp criticism. While unpacking Elwood’s article, DW explained that there is “a clear disparity between male and female athletes.” In track and field, for instance, “the shot put and discus events alone [show] the disparities begin with the fact that the males throw heavier weights — and end with the dramatic difference in the distances they are able to throw those weights.” Ultimately, WaPo’s article came after Munshi was forced to move back to the boys’ team in light of President Donald Trump’s executive order banning men from women’s sports. And yet, instances of males disrupting female sports divisions persist.

Just this week, Breitbart reported on how “Lia Rose,” a male-born athlete in Oregon, went from last place in the boys’ high jump to first place in the girls’. But notably, men aren’t merely dominating in sports with higher levels of physical exertion. Even the Ultimate Pool Women’s Pro Series saw firsthand how two “trans players tore through their female opponents.” In fact, this pool competition ended with the two trans-identifying players facing each other, which Riley Gaines described as “a real life South Park episode” as two biological men duked it out in what was allegedly a competition for women.

Seemingly, with every male who defies federal orders by competing in women’s sports is a woman or girl who refuses to tolerate it. Even Mark Cuban, a liberal billionaire investor and “Shark Tank” star, said during an interview with ESPN that this is an issue that “you can’t just force … down people’s throats.” Athletes like Stephanie Turner are going a step further by making it clear this is an issue they won’t let be shoved down their throats. Of course, she is joined by all the other athletes who have chosen to stand their ground despite opposition, including Abigail Wilson, a female disc golfer who refused to compete against a biological male over the weekend.

Penny Nance, president and CEO of CWA, shared with The Washington Stand, “Concerned Women for America proudly stands with Stephanie Turner, whose courageous refusal to fence a biological male at the USA Fencing Cherry Blossom Open exposes the blatant injustice of policies gutting women’s sports.” Nance added, “Supporting women and girls like her is non-negotiable in our battle to defend fairness and secure their right to compete on a level playing field, as demanded by President Trump’s February 5, 2025 executive order.”

As she went on to explain, “Stephanie’s stand, honored by XX-XY Athletics’ Courage Wins Champion Award, is a powerful example we fully believe will inspire countless athletes to reject unfair competition.” More than that, “President Trump has made it crystal clear he’s fully committed to protecting female athletics, and we’re right there with him. Forcing universities flouting his EO to comply, holding sports bodies accountable, and amplifying these women’s voices are critical to ensuring we win this fight.”

CWA, Nance declared, “won’t stop until women’s sports are fully protected, relentlessly hammering organizations like USA Fencing to face biological reality. We’re fueling legal and legislative battles to crush this insanity and protect female athletics for good.”

Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand.