XX-XY Athletics activist speaks out on ejection from NWSL match after fans threw food and beer at them
About 20 “Save Women’s Sports” activists wearing XX-XY Athletics shirts were escorted out of a Portland Thorns match after, they said, other fans threw food and beer at them and verbally abused them. Activist Amy Sousa said she and others filed police reports, and argued their removal for supporting female-only sports raised questions about how supporters are treated at women’s sporting events.
Sousa said security told her the shirts did not breach stadium policy, but she believed the group was removed because staff could not protect them from other fans. Reporter Matt Calkins also described being insulted, having his phone knocked from his hand and beer poured on him while documenting the incident. The Thorns’ security director and communications team did not provide comment to the article, which also noted that a smaller group of activists had been removed from a match in early September.
In short
- About 20 activists were escorted from a Portland Thorns match.
- They reported being pelted with food and beer by fans.
- Sousa said the group filed police reports.
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The case for
Supporters of the activists can argue that expressing a lawful view about female-only sports should not lead to removal from a public sporting event, especially if security acknowledged their shirts did not violate stadium policy. If fans threw food or beer or used violence, the club should protect those targeted and investigate their reports; otherwise, removing them may appear to reward intimidation and chill legitimate debate.
The case against
The club and other supporters can argue that staff may remove people when a volatile situation threatens safety, even if their clothing itself is allowed, and that the account does not establish why the group was escorted out or whether staff had safer options. A women’s match should also be welcoming to players and attendees, so organisers may need to act quickly to prevent disruption while assessing competing complaints; that does not excuse alleged assaults or harassment.
Explained simply
The NWSL is the top professional women’s football league in the United States, and the Portland Thorns are one of its teams. XX-XY Athletics is a sportswear brand that supports female-only sports, while “Save Women’s Sports” is a campaign associated with that position.
Disputes over who can compete in women’s sport have become a wider public debate, involving athletes, campaigners and sporting organisations. The incident raises questions about how stadiums handle clashes between spectators and whether people can safely express their views at women’s matches.