On Friday night, women’s sports activists descended upon the Portland Thorns (NWSL) game wearing XX-XY Athletics T-shirts and holding a sign that said, “Save Women’s Sports.” They were peaceful. They simply wore shirts that recognized biological reality, but that led to pro-trans Thorns fans striking them with a flag pole, verbally assaulting them, and security physically restraining and throwing some of them out of the game.
It was an awful night for those who claim to be “tolerant” and “accepting,” so when the team posted about appreciating their fans, “save women’s sports” supporters let them have it.
After the game, the Thorns social team posted this:
“the 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆 best fans in all the land 🫶 thank you for the best atmosphere, support and energy tonight and all season long! we couldn’t do it without you!”
Save Women’s Sports activists are surrounded by an agitated group of trans supporters after unfurling a large “Save Women’s Sports” banner and revealing XX-XY shirts at a Portland Thorns match Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. (OutKick)
MOM AND DAUGHTER TOLD TO COVER UP XX-XY T-SHIRTS, SAY THEY WERE THREATENED WITH EJECTION AT FEVER-DREAM GAME
There’s a social media term called, “ratioed”, which means a social media post receives significantly more replies than likes. That’s exactly what happened here.
Columnist Dustin Grage said, “Your fans are violent and you cheered them on.”
Journalist Andy Ngo said, “You allowed thugs to assault women and then had your security force the victims out.”
X user Charlotte Welcker said, “Your fans assaulted a woman and then your security threw her out. DISGUSTING.”
Save Women’s Sports activists are surrounded by an agitated group of trans supporters after unfurling a large “Save Women’s Sports” banner and revealing XX-XY shirts at a Portland Thorns match Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. (OutKick)
SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM SUPPORTERS OPEN UP ON ENCOUNTER WITH SECURITY, PRO-TRANS FANS IN LATEST WNBA CULTURE CLASH
Another user stated, “Unless you wear an athletic shirt with the wrong brand, in which case you’ll be ejected from the game in a hurry.”
One user highlighted one of the worst incidents of the night saying, “show the part where a male fan shoved a 57 year old lesbian down two rows of seats. disgusting fans.”
WNBA FANS RECALL EJECTION THREAT OVER XX-XY ATHLETICS SHIRT AT FEVER-DREAM GAME: ‘I WAS FLABBERGASTED’
Reporter, commentator, and “Save Women’s Sports” activist, Brandi Kruse, who was physically restrained by security and eventually, picked up and thrown out of the stadium, shared details about what happened to her friend.
“Julie, a 57-year-old lesbian, was shoved down by a male @ThornsFC fan and tumbled over two rows of chairs. All for wearing an @xx_xyathletics shirt. He later apologized and said he didn’t know why he did it, he was just following the crowd. She has filed a police report,” she reported on X with an accompanying video.
WNBA ADMITS SECURITY IN ATLANTA WAS WRONG TO MAKE FANS COVER SHIRTS AT DREAM-FEVER GAME
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE
Other replies included:
“Too bad you don’t support free speech.”
THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!
“I will never attend a game. You assaulted women wearing t-shirts representing science.”
“Your fans are insecure, violent, and unreasonable.”
WNBA WON’T NAME PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR SECURITY INCIDENT OVER FANS’ SHIRTS, AS DREAM BLAME LEAGUE
SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY OUTKICK NEWSLETTER
To be fair, as was pointed out by OutKick reporter Jackson Thompson on X, Friday night was Fan Appreciation Night, but the Thorns should have read the room, regardless of the theme night. The actions of their fans, especially their supporter group, was disgusting.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE APP
If this incident proved anything in my mind, it’s that the NWSL is more radical and intolerant than the WNBA.
