A Portland, Oregon, sports bar that exclusively broadcasts women's sports ejected customers who were wearing apparel from a brand called XX-XY Athletics. The brand's shirts feature messaging that advocates for restricting sports participation based on biological sex, referencing XX and XY chromosomes.
The incident occurred at The Sports Bra and was captured in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, by a user named Amy Sousa. In the video, a server can be heard telling the patrons, "There are people that are in here that are uncomfortable with those shirts. So I am asking y’all to leave."
The server indicated that she could involve authorities if necessary but preferred the patrons to leave voluntarily. The patrons questioned the server about their shirts, asserting that there was "nothing wrong with these shirts."
The video, posted on Sunday, gained significant traction, accumulating over 5.6 million views on X. The Sports Bra addressed the incident on its Instagram account on Monday, stating that the group wore apparel with messages advocating for the exclusion of transgender women from sports. The bar's statement affirmed its commitment to inclusion, noting that the patrons were given the choice to cover the messaging or leave, and they chose to leave.
The controversy is linked to ongoing discourse surrounding the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports, a topic that has also been a subject of debate for professional athletes, including WNBA player Sophie Cunningham.