Group of fans kicked out of Portland Thorns NWSL match over pro-women apparel labeled 'transphobic'

A group of eight people was confronted at their seats and ejected from a Portland Thorns match at Providence Park after stadium security flagged their pro-women apparel.

Footage obtained by OutKick shows Amy E. Sousa attempting to speak with a venue staff member for about a minute as the group sat in their assigned seats for the NWSL match against the Washington Spirit.

Attendees were wearing gear from XX-XY Athletics alongside shirts bearing slogans such as "Save Women's Sports," "Girls just wanna have fundamental rights," "Woman," and "It's common sense."

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In the video, venue staff hand the group a card notifying them of an infraction of the Providence Park and NWSL Code of Conduct before escorting them out of the building.

The notice gave venue staff 72 hours to contact the group about additional penalties. It also warned that refusing to provide personal information on the spot could lead to a ban from all future events at the stadium.

Sousa later told OutKick that she was accused of being transphobic.

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Following the ejection, Sousa took to social media to push back against any claim that the group caused a disturbance inside the venue before security stepped in.

"We did nothing. We had not even shown our shirts. We were dressed like this when ejected," Sousa posted on X in response to the incident.

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The episode at Providence Park, which is owned by the City of Portland but operated by a private company, raises questions about how speech rules are enforced at a publicly owned stadium.

Fans face a core question: Who polices game-day gear, and when does safety cross into overreach? The incident also highlights a contrast in how Portlands sports teams handle fan attire.

Sousa previously attended a WNBA game at the Moda Center between the Portland Fire and Indiana Fever wearing her XX-XY Athletics shirt. She was even featured on the arenas massive jumbotron during the live broadcast, while the Thorns later booted Sousa and the other fans from Providence Park for wearing similar pro-women apparel.

"I didn't take it seriously," Sousa said regarding online warnings she received before Sunday's match. "I was like, what are they going to do? Arrest us for watching soccer?"

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