USA Fencing board members voted against several motions to amend the sports governing body’s current policies, including measures to allow the national anthem to be played before competition and approving an all-female task force to re-evaluate and revise the current transgender policy.
The special board meeting held on Saturday came just days after the Fair Fencing Organization (FFO) penned an open letter to the board asking that it re-evaluate its stance on several issues, including tournament site selection criteria, as it relates to individual states’ abortion policies, transgender inclusion and DEI.
Saber fencing gear 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 nationwide nonprofit organization, called on the members of the board to make decisions not based on “political correctness,” but rather in the interest of its members.
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Several motions raised in Saturday’s meeting addressed several hot-button issues in the nation.
Among the first motions raised was to amend the current USA Fencing Site Selection Inclusion Policy “to allow more flexibility at the city level for those willing to offer protections to women and LGBTQIA+ members.”
The current policy includes factors based on profitability, member experience, satisfaction, cost, travel convenience, square footage requirements (including parafencing accommodations), city interest and availability in hosting, and inclusivity. USA Fencing states in its policy that it gives “preference” to sites based on the use of ratings from LGBTMAP.org and “states that do not have laws that endanger the health of members, or immediate family of members, and will avoid those with laws that may see a medical professional prosecuted for assisting a member in need of critical medical care, or reproductive-related medical care.”
The motion to amend the policy and stop 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 passed unanimously.
Fencers compete 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)
FENCING ORGANIZATION PENS OPEN LETTER TO USFA OVER CONCERNS ABOUT TRANS ATHLETES, STANCES ON ABORTION AND DEI
Another motion to create an all-female task force to “re-evaluate and revise” the current policy on transgender athletes was also voted against 8-3. The proposal would have included a “transgender fencer” on the task force if passed.
A motion to amend the governing body’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging office, including changing it to a committee and redirecting its funds, was also voted against 9-1 with one abstention.
Several other issues raised during the board meeting not addressed by FFO’s letter, including playing the national anthem and podium protests, were also raised during 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 prohibit podium protests or protests at the tournaments in general was also voted against with an 8-3 vote in favor of allowing those protests to continue.
A USA fencing mask is left in the warm-up area during a practice session ahead of the 2012 London Olympic Games at ExCeL Centre on July 24, 2012 in London. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
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In a statement to Fox News Digital regarding the FFO’s letter and prior to Saturday’s meeting, USA Fencing noted that its board members “are elected by our members and are entrusted to represent their interests and make decisions they believe are in the best interest of the fencing community as a whole.”
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