Overview
- The Portland Thorns say stadium security removed eight people for handing out unapproved materials during the Sept. 6 match at Providence Park and that the club is reviewing the incident.
- Members of the group, who wore XX‑XY Athletics shirts with slogans such as “Save Women’s Sports,” deny distributing anything and say they were targeted for their political views.
- After the stadium ejection the same day, staff at The Sports Bra, a Portland bar dedicated to women’s sports, asked the group to leave because other customers felt unsafe and the bar later posted an Instagram statement affirming support for trans girls and trans women.
- Venue staff handed the group a notice citing a Fan Experience Guidelines violation and warned of possible additional penalties, noting they have 72 hours to follow up; Providence Park is city owned but privately operated, complicating oversight.
- The episode falls within a larger national flashpoint over transgender inclusion in women’s sports, has drawn polarized national coverage, and could prompt further reviews of fan-code wording, enforcement practices, and potential legal challenges.