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.

Group of 8 ejected from Portland Thorns match on Sept. 6 after bring pro-women sports apparel. (Amy E. Sousa / X: @KnownHeretic)

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.

Fans of Portland Thorns FC react during an NWSL match between Portland Thorns FC and Washington Spirit at Providence Park on Sept. 6, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (NWSL via Getty Images)

“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 Portland’s 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 arena’s 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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The security response at Providence Park followed public social media posts from a local LGBT group organizer, Hannah Perry, who lobbied municipal and state officials to intervene at the city-owned stadium.

Tara Rudd No. 9 of Washington Spirit celebrates after scoring her team’s first goal during an NWSL match against Portland Thorns FC at Providence Park in Portland, Ore., on Sept. 6, 2026. (NWSL via Getty Images)

Ahead of game time, Perry fired off a Facebook message to Sousa letting him know she’d already put the Portland PD, the mayor and Gov. Tina Kotek on notice.

Perry added that she was contacting Providence Park directly, alongside local organizations, to demand the group be removed. She called Sousa a “pathetic excuse of a human being” and wrote, “I hope that you’re not allowed into the stadium.”

General view inside the stadium during the NWSL match between Portland Thorns FC and Washington Spirit at Providence Park in Portland, Ore., on Sept. 6, 2026. (NWSL via Getty Images)

Under the NWSL Fan Code of Conduct, spectators are prohibited from displaying signs, symbols, words or imagery used for political campaigning or advocacy. However, neither the league nor venue rules provide an objective standard for what turns basic slogan apparel into banned political expression, leaving enforcement largely to staff discretion.

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Requests for comment sent to Providence Park venue management, Portland Thorns and NWSL league headquarters were not immediately returned.

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela