United States 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 approve an all-female task force to re-evaluate and review the current transgender politics.
The special board meeting held on Saturday came just days after the Fair Fencing Organization (FFO) wrote an open letter to the board asking it to re-evaluate its stance on several issues, including tournament site selection criteria, in which refers to the individual states. abortion policies, transgender inclusion and DEI.
The saber fencing team 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 on the interest of its members.
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Several motions raised at Saturday’s meeting addressed several hot-button issues in the nation.
Among the first motions raised was to amend the current US Fencing Site Selection Inclusion Policy “to allow for greater flexibility at the city level for those willing to offer protections to women and LGBTQIA+ members.” “.
Current policy includes factors based on profitability, member experience, satisfaction, cost, travel convenience, square footage requirements (including parafence accommodations), city interest, and availability accommodation, and inclusion. 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 that endanger the health of members or members’ immediate family , and will avoid those with laws that may cause a medical professional to be prosecuted for assisting a member in need of critical medical care or reproductive-related medical care.”
The motion to modify the policy and stop the use of LGBTMAP.org was voted against 9 to 1 with one abstention. The original motion “to allow for greater flexibility at the city level” passed unanimously.
Fencers compete during the US Division I National Fencing Championships at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on April 11, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
FENCING ORGANIZATION Writes Open Letter to USFA ABOUT CONCERNS ABOUT TRANS ATHLETES, STANCES ON ABORTION AND DEI
Another motion to create an all-female task force to “re-evaluate and review” the current policy on transgender athletes was also voted against 8-3. If approved, the proposal would have included a “transgender fencer” in the task force.
Also voted against by 9-1 with one abstention was a motion to amend the governing body’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging office, including moving it to a committee and redirecting its funds.
Other issues raised during the board meeting that were not addressed in FFO’s letter were also raised during the special meeting, including the playing of the national anthem and protests at the podium. The vote to play the national anthem at the start of tournaments before “all NACs and national championships” was voted against by 8 to 2 with one abstention. A motion to ban protests on podiums or at tournaments in general was also voted down, with a vote of 8 to 3 in favor of allowing those protests to continue.
A US fencing mask is left in the warm-up area during a practice session ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the ExCeL Center on July 24, 2012 in London. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
In a statement to Pak Gazette Digital about the FFO letter and ahead of Saturday’s meeting, USA Fencing said its board members “are elected by our members and are entrusted with representing their interests and making decisions.” decisions that they believe are in the best interest of fencing. community as a whole.”
