'Save Women’s Sports' activists ejected from NWSL match after being struck, confronted by pro-trans crowd
Around 20 "Save Women's Sports" activists wearing XX-XY Athletics shirts were forcibly escorted out of a Portland Thorns match on Friday night after members of the group were struck and verbally berated by other fans during a demonstration supporting female-only sports.
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.
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 at Providence Park. A smaller group was removed in early September, when Sousa said she was accused of being "transphobic" for her pro-women apparel.
The decision to unfurl the "Save Women's Sports" banner and reveal their shirts at the start of the second half Friday was strategic. Sousa hoped the group could avoid ejection because soccer has no official breaks in play. But members of the Rose City Riveters — the Thorns' emphatically pro-trans supporters group — appeared to have caught wind of their intentions.
Just before the second half began, a number of fans were given transgender pride flags, apparently in an effort to obstruct other spectators' view of the banner and XX-XY supporters. One man sitting across the aisle from the group repeatedly shouted, "F--- you! F--- you, scum!" Chants of "Trans lives matter!" followed.
OutKick reporter Matt Calkins, who was credentialed for the match, attempted to document the confrontation but was also subjected to verbal and physical aggression. He was flipped off, called a Nazi, had his phone knocked out of his hand and had beer poured on his neck. The interaction was captured by Calkins on video.
XX-XY attendees weren't treated much better. Kruse had her right arm restrained behind her back by a security guard, who walked her up the stairs to the concourse and out of the stadium. This happened after she said she and others were hit multiple times with flags, with the assaulters repeatedly acting like it was an accident. Kruse added that another XX-XY attendee was pushed over her seat and "tumbled down." Aside from one man who poured beer on someone, Brandi said no other assaulters were removed.
"I asked the security guard 'Why are we being asked to leave and they're not not being asked to leave?' If you want all of us to leave that's another thing, but just us? So I said 'I'm not leaving on my own accord'," Kruse said. "So two security guards grabbed me and took me out. I'm in shock over it."
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A separate security guard also yanked an Calkins' credential from around his neck as he interviewed Sousa. The guard returned it seconds later but declined to explain his actions when questioned.
Director of security Jim McCausland was texted for comment, per OutKick's request, but said he did not have time to talk. OutKick also reached to the Thorns' communication director for comment — specifically as to why XX-XY attendees were escorted out but not their assaulters — but received no response.
Roughly half a dozen XX-XY supporters left the stadium before the banner was even revealed, fearing for their safety after seeing spectators wearing "Protect Trans Kids" shirts featuring images of knives. But Ari Laureano, who has detransitioned, chose to stay.
Laureano said just after he unbuttoned his coat to reveal his XX-XY shirt, he was smashed in the face by a flagpole. He added that assaulters used flags as a barricade to hide that they were striking the women he was with.
Worth it to try and make a change? In Laureano's mind, yes. But he doesn't expect much sympathy from journalists.
"I think the average person looks at this and doesn't understand what's going on, and the media goes and calls all these women horrible homophobic bigots," Laureano said. "But I'm here with them as a gay man who was harmed by being transitioned young, and I'm being beaten alongside of them. These are just normal impacted women who care about women's sports."
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The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) — which comprises the Thorns and 15 other teams — but like the WNBA, the league doesn't have a policy that would automatically exclude a male-born player.
Additionally, Washington and Colorado have measures on their Nov. 3 ballots that would restrict participation in school sports based on biological sex. Washington's initiative applies to K-12 athletics, while Colorado's would extend to college sports.
Women such as Sousa and Kruse — along with XX-XY founder Jennifer Sey — have been resolute in trying to get those measures passed. They've just never considered violence or vitriol as among their tactics.
"It's just fascinating this difference. Like, I live in Seattle, you know, as a conservative, I'm surrounded by things I don't like all the time — signs, ideas. It's never even crossed my mind to assault someone," Kruse said. "The mentality is very different."