PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) – A Portland Thorns fan says she and others were kicked out of Providence Park during Saturday’s game against the Washington Spirit after a stadium employee told them she had been informed of something “transphobic.” She also says she and her group were told to give up their sports bras because they were wearing clothes that said “XX-XY.” The Portland Thorns said the group was removed because they were distributing unapproved materials, which violates the stadium’s fan experience guidelines. Amy Sousa said the situation started with a social media post inviting people to attend the game wearing clothing from XX-XY Athletics, a brand that says sports should be designated by gender. “There are two sexes: there are men and there are women,” Sousa said. “And XX-XY Athletics is really adamant that sports should be designated based on sex.” Sousa shared a photo of what he wore to the game. He said a scarf covered the XX-XY logo throughout the game, except when he took the photo. “The scarf covered it the entire time, except when I took that specific photo,” she said. Sousa said she and her group were then asked to leave the stadium. In a video that Sousa recorded, a person who appears to be associated with the stadium can be heard saying that he had been informed of something “transphobic” and that someone had been “giving information.” Sousa said he did not know what conduct the employee was referring to. “We haven’t done anything transphobic,” Sousa said. “We literally brought the code of conduct with us and have followed it to the letter.” The rest of the conversation is not heard in the video provided to KATU. Sousa said the employee told the group that someone had called about them. In a statement, a Thorns spokesperson said: “During our Sept. 6 game against the Washington Spirit, people were ejected from Providence Park for distributing unapproved materials, a violation of the Stadium Fan Experience Guidelines. We are reviewing the incident. “After the game, Sousa says she and a group went to Sports Bra, where they were also ejected. “At first, they didn’t give us a reason. At first, they just told us they’re an inclusive restaurant and bar. And we were like, well, aren’t we included? And they were like, no, their shirts are… transphobic,” Sousa said. “They said our shirts made someone feel unsafe. Our shirts made someone feel unsafe.” Another video of Sousa shows staff at The Sports Bra asking her to leave because other customers were uncomfortable in her clothing. The Sports Bra posted publicly on Instagram after the incident, saying that they “support, promote and empower girls and women in sports, and to be clear: trans girls are girls and trans women are women.” At birth, those who transition to align with their gender identity should be allowed to play in women’s sports. According to the NWSL Code of Conduct for fans attending games, they are prohibited from using “threatening, abusive or discriminatory words, signs, symbols or actions based on race, ethnicity, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, cultural identity, nationality, citizenship status, age, appearance, disability and/or religion.” after Washington rallied, with Trinity Rodman scoring the game-winner in the final minutes. In 2020, several members of the Timbers Army were banned from some matches after waving flags with the Iron Front, a symbol used in World War II to represent anti-fascism. MLS considered the iron front symbol to be political, as it has been appropriated by some members of the Antifa movement. As in the NWSL, anything political was prohibited in MLS stadiums. However, the league changed some of the language in its fan conduct section after the incident. PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Timbers fans help change MLS Fan Code of Conduct
