Eight fans were ejected from a Portland Thorns National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) match at Providence Park for wearing apparel with slogans such as "Save Women's Sports" and "Woman." The incident, which occurred on September 6, 2026, during a match against the Washington Spirit, has raised questions about the enforcement of stadium and league conduct policies.
Video footage shows stadium security confronting the group in their seats and presenting them with a notice of infraction regarding the Providence Park and NWSL Code of Conduct. The notice indicated that further penalties could be imposed and warned of a potential ban from future events if personal information was not provided.
Amy E. Sousa, one of the ejected fans, stated on social media that the group had not caused any disturbance and were wearing the apparel when security approached them. Sousa also reported being accused of being transphobic following the ejection.
Providence Park is owned by the City of Portland but operated by a private company. The NWSL Fan Code of Conduct prohibits signs, symbols, words, or imagery used for political campaigning or advocacy. However, the league and venue rules do not provide clear objective standards for differentiating between general slogan apparel and banned political expression, leaving enforcement to the discretion of staff.
Prior to the match, an LGBT group organizer reportedly contacted municipal and state officials, including the Portland Police Department, the mayor, and the governor, expressing concerns about the group's attire. The organizer also contacted Providence Park directly, calling for the group's removal and stating, "I hope that you're not allowed into the stadium."
Sousa had previously attended a WNBA game at the Moda Center wearing similar XX-XY Athletics gear without incident, even being featured on the arena's jumbotron. The contrast in experiences has drawn attention to how different sports teams in Portland handle fan attire.
Requests for comment sent to Providence Park management, the Portland Thorns, and NWSL league headquarters were not immediately returned.