The confrontation occurred during the Thorns’ match against the North Carolina Courage at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon.The club’s schedule designated the match as its "Fan Appreciation" night.According to a preliminary account, the group entered with their XX-XY shirts covered and kept them concealed through the first half.
At the start of the second half, they revealed the shirts and unfurled a large banner reading "Save Women’s Sports," but matters quickly escalated from that point on.Save Women’s Sports activists are surrounded by an agitated group of trans supporters after unfurling a large "Save Women’s Sports" banner and revealing XX-XY shirts at a Portland Thorns match Friday, Oct.23, 2026.
(OutKick)FANS DISAGREE WITH PORTLAND THORNS OVER REASON FOR EJECTION IN XX-XY APPAREL DISPUTE: 'THEY ARE LYING'Other spectators, described in the account as supporters of transgender inclusion in women’s sports, allegedly responded with verbal abuse and physical aggression, including striking members of the group with flagpoles carrying trans flags.Security subsequently escorted the roughly 20 demonstrators out of the stadium.The organizers included women’s sports activist Amy Sousa and commentator Brandi Kruse, who previously helped organize rallies supporting WNBA player Sophie Cunningham.Sousa told OutKick that she and other XX-XY Athletics attendees filed police reports after being escorted out of the stadium."We were attacked by fans.
We were hit with flags.We had drinks and thrown at us," said Sousa, standing behind police outside the stadium because she did not feel safe.
"Other people were forcibly pushed out the door.We had an ADA woman in a walker, she was forcibly pushed out the door.
They let these people hit us with flags, another woman was punched in the face, all because we wanted to stand there in our shirts to protect girls sports."This wasn't the first time Sousa and XX-XY Athletics supporters had been ejected from a Thorns game ...