Red Sullivan's Fight for Trans Rights in Sports

Red Sullivan, a student and athlete at the University of Connecticut, shares her experiences with trans rights, sports policies, and the interconnectedness of social issues. In March, 2025, Red was competing at a regional tournament called the Cherry Blossom Open at the University of Maryland, when at the start of one of her matches with 31-year-old Stephanie Turner, Red’s opponent removed her mask, took a knee and declined participate against Red, who was 19 at the time, citing mutual respect but noting “this is a women's event. I'm a woman and you're a man. I will not fence you.” This conversation traverses the intricate politics of that event but also the broader anti-trans movement. Chapters00:00 Introduction and Context of the Incident02:49 Reflections on the Incident and Media Response06:01 Evolving Comfort with Public Discourse09:12 Shifts in Sports Policies and Their Implications12:13 Understanding Advantages in Fencing14:48 The Intersection of Class and Athlete Abuse18:12 The Broader Implications of Trans Athletes in Sports35:37 The Silence of Athlete Abuse46:13 Political Education and Activism in Sports56:12 The Politics of Exclusion in Sports Keywords: trans athletes, sports policy, discrimination, social justice, NCAA, USA Fencing, IOC, athlete abuse, class disparities, political activismHosts in this episode: Priyansh, Anna Posbergh________________________________________Support & Follow The End of SportPatreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/Theendofsport⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Support the show!)Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@endofsportpod.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@endofsportpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter/X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@EndofSportPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The End of Sport⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen, share, and support The End of Sport, a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network, a community of over sixty leftist podcasts at ⁠⁠harbingermedianetwork.com⁠⁠.