A group of patrons was asked to leave The Sports Bra, a Northeast Portland bar known for exclusively showing women’s sports, on Sunday after arriving in XX-XY Athletics apparel, according to video the group later shared online.
Five people were removed from the Portland bar after a server told them other customers had raised concerns about their shirts, according to footage posted on X that has drawn more than 6 million views. Amy Sousa, one of the women in the group, shared the video.
In the clip, a server can be heard telling the group they needed to leave because of complaints from other patrons inside the establishment.
“There are people that are in here that are uncomfortable with those shirts, and so I’m asking y’all to leave,” the server said in the video. “If I have to call authorities to get y’all removed, I will, but I don’t want to do that.”
One member of the group objected, saying, “There is nothing wrong with these shirts! What is wrong with these shirts?” The server responded that she had already received complaints.
The Sports Bra addressed the incident Monday in an Instagram post, defending its decision. The bar said the group came in wearing “apparel with messages advocating for the exclusion of trans women from sports” and was offered the option to cover the messaging or leave. “To be clear: trans girls are girls, and trans women are women,” the bar wrote.
XX-XY Athletics is a sportswear company founded by former gymnast Jennifer Sey. The brand says athletic competition should be divided by biological sex, and its name refers to the chromosomes associated with women and men.
Earlier that day, the same group was also removed from the Portland Thorns’ NWSL match against the Washington Spirit at Providence Park. A Thorns spokesperson told OutKick the fans were escorted out for “distributing unapproved materials,” an account Sousa has disputed.
“We did not distribute any materials,” Sousa said. “They are lying about us.”
The confrontation follows a similar incident last month, when the WNBA and the Atlanta Dream admitted security was wrong to make a mother and daughter cover XX-XY shirts worn in support of Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, whose ESPN comments opposing “biological men” in women’s sports touched off the debate.
The video drew a split reaction online.
