Amy Sousa and several companions were removed from Providence Park during a Portland Thorns match and later ejected from a Northeast Portland sports bar after staff and security objected to their apparel featuring the slogans XX-XY and Save Women’s Sports on September 6.
The group wore clothing and accessories from XX-XY Athletics, a brand advocating for sex-based separation in athletics, displaying slogans such as Save Women’s Sports,Girls just wanna have fundamental rights, and It’s common sense. According to Sousa, her scarf covered the prominent logo for much of the game, but stadium personnel eventually intervened after receiving complaints.
Providence Park Security Enforcement and NWSL Code Violations
During the match, which ended in a 2–1 victory for the Washington Spirit featuring a game-winning goal by Trinity Rodman in the final minutes, stadium staff approached Sousa and her companions.
“During our September 6 match against the Washington Spirit, individuals were removed from Providence Park for distributing unapproved materials, a violation of the Fan Experience Guidelines at the stadium.”
Portland Thorns spokesperson, via KATU
In addition to being escorted from the stadium, the group received a written notice stating they violated the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Code of Conduct. The document gave venue staff a 72-hour window to contact the group regarding additional penalties and warned that refusing to provide personal information could result in a ban from future events at the stadium. The NWSL fan code bars threatening, abusive, or discriminatory symbols or actions based on protected categories including gender identity and sex.
Denial of Service at The Sports Bra in Northeast Portland
Following their ejection from Providence Park, Sousa and four other patrons traveled to The Sports Bra, a dining establishment in Northeast Portland dedicated entirely to women’s sports. Staff seated the group and served their meals before noticing the messaging on their attire. A waitress subsequently approached the table and asked them to leave, explaining that other customers felt uncomfortable.
Photo: KATU
“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.”
From Instagram — related to portland thorns eject group, Portland Thorns XX-XY shirts
Waitress at The Sports Bra, via Daily Mail
Sousa told reporters that the group had not interacted with anyone outside their own party. Following the incident, The Sports Bra published a public statement on Instagram clarifying its organizational mission and stance on inclusion.
“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. That 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 Sports Bra, via Instagram
National Political Reactions and Wider Athletics Discourse
The ejections in Portland mirror a broader wave of stadium confrontations and national commentary regarding transgender athlete eligibility in women’s sports.
Sports leagues continue to grapple with balancing fan expression codes against political messaging. In professional soccer, precedent exists for such clashes; back in 2020, Major League Soccer banned Iron Front anti-fascist flags before later revising portions of its fan conduct language.
Group wearing 'XX-XY' shirts kicked out of Portland soccer match and sports bar
