Portland’s Sports Bra ‘inclusive’ bar kicks women’s rights activists out for wearing XX-XY shirts supporting women’s sports

Amy Sousa, who has helped spearhead an effort to show support for Sophie Cunningham at WNBA games amid controversy in that league, was part of the group that was kicked out on Sunday. She said that after the success they have seen with pushing back against the WNBA, “We thought, let’s go to the National Women’s Soccer League.”

She said the group, comprising of around eight people, both men and women, went to attend the game sporting XX-XY Athletics apparel. She said that around an hour before the Portland Thorns game was set to start, they were asked to leave.

“The action was to show up simply wearing XX-XY shirts. We hadn't even displayed them. We hadn't even done anything. We hadn't talked to anyone. We hadn't interacted with anyone except for our own group, and then we were ejected. We were accused of transphobia.”

An official outside the stadium said he was “made aware” of transphobia, and that someone in the group was “giving out information” in the stadium. He said the stadium was “inclusive.”

This came after local LGBT group organizer, Hannah Perry, lobbied officials to intervene at Providence Park, which is owned by the City of Portland but operated by a private company. Perry had sent a message to Sousa on Facebook ahead of the game, saying that she had put the Portland PD, the mayor and Gov. Tina Kotek on notice.

Rose City Riveters, an official fan account for the Thorns, released a statement celebrating the group’s removal. “We want to express our thanks to the Thorns staff and Providence Park security for swiftly handling the transphobic incident today. We won’t tolerate hate in our house, and it’s good to know that they are with us,” the statement read in part.

Sousa said that following the group’s ejection from the stadium, they still wanted to watch the game, and headed to The Sports Bra to do so. She said that around 20 minutes into the group being there, and after their food had arrived at the table, they were told to leave “because our shirts were making people unsafe,” Sousa said.

Video taken inside the restaurant showed a woman lecturing the table, “there are people that are in here that are uncomfortable with those shirts, and so I’m asking y’all to leave. If I have to call authorities to get y’all removed, I will, but I don’t want to do that.”

One person asked, “Why did you let us order and sit down?” The woman replied, “I didn’t realize it until someone — I don’t look at people’s shirts whenever you come in.” She said she had received complaints from other patrons.

The bar said in a statement on the matter, “At The Sports Bra, our mission is simple: support, promote, and empower ALL girls and women in sports. To be clear: trans girls are girls, and trans women are women. Since day one, we’ve built our space to be inclusive, especially for people who don’t feel comfortable at a traditional sports bar. This includes LGBTQ+ community members. As a reminder, the T stands for trans. We welcome people of every identity and background, but we do not tolerate messages or conduct that demean or exclude the very community we exist to serve and celebrate.”

The statement continued, “On Sunday, Sept. 6, a group entered wearing apparel with messages advocating for the exclusion of trans women from sports. When our team respectfully gave the group notice to cover the anti-trans messaging or leave, they chose to leave. We stand firmly committed to inclusion and belonging for everyone who walks through our doors. Thank you for standing with us.”