USA Fencing board votes against motions on hot-button issues, including all-female working group on trans policy

Fencing in the United States Board members voted against several motions to change the sport's governing body's current policies, including measures to allow the national anthem to be played before competition and approval of a fully-fledged task force women to re-evaluate and revise current transgender policy.

Saturday's special board meeting came just days after the Fair Fencing Organization (FFO) wrote an open letter to the board asking it to reassess its position on several issues, including the criteria for selection of tournament sites, as it relates to individual states. abortion policies, transgender inclusion and DEI.

Saber fencing equipment is seen during the USA Fencing Division I National Championships at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on April 11, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The FFO, which describes itself as a national nonprofit organization, called on board members to make decisions not based on “political correctness” but rather in the best interests of its members.

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Several motions raised during Saturday's meeting addressed several burning issues in the country.

One of the first motions raised was to change the current inclusion policy in fencing venue selection in the United States “to allow more flexibility at the city level for those wishing to offer protections to women and to LGBTQIA+ members.”

The current policy includes factors based on profitability, member experience, satisfaction, cost, travel convenience, square footage requirements (including parafencing accommodation), interest and availability of the city in terms of accommodation, as well as inclusiveness. USA Fencing states in its policy that it gives “preference” to sites based on the use of LGBTMAP.org ratings and “states that do not have laws endangering the health of members or immediate family members, and will avoid those with laws that can see a medical professional prosecuted for assisting a member in need of critical medical care or reproductive-related medical care.

The motion to change the policy and end the use of LGBTMAP.org was voted against 9-1, with one abstention. The original motion “to allow more flexibility at the city level” was adopted unanimously.

Fencers compete in the USA Fencing Division I National Championships at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on April 11, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

FENCING ORGANIZATION PENS AN OPEN LETTER TO USFA REGARDING CONCERNS ABOUT TRANS ATHLETES, POSITIONS ON ABORTION AND DEI

Another motion to create an all-female task force to “reevaluate and revise” current gender policy transgender athletes was also voted against 8-3. The proposal would have included a “transgender fencer” on the working group if it had passed.

A motion to change the governing body's office for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, including transforming it into a committee and redirecting its funds, was also voted down 9 against 1 and one abstention.

Several other issues raised at the board meeting and not addressed in FFO's letter, including the playing of the national anthem and podium protests, were also raised at the special meeting. A vote to play the national anthem at the start of tournaments before “all NACs and national championships” was voted against 8-2 with one abstention. A motion to ban podium protests or tournament protests in general was also rejected by an 8-3 vote in favor of continuing such protests.

An American fencing mask is left in the warm-up area during a training session ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the ExCeL Center on July 24, 2012 in London. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

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In a statement to Fox News Digital regarding the FFO letter and ahead of Saturday's meeting, USA Fencing noted that its board members “are elected by our members and are responsible for representing their interests and making decisions decisions which they consider to be in the best interests of fencing”. community as a whole. »

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