Portland Thorns face backlash in the comments for thanking fans on the night the XX-XY group launched an attack

On Friday evening, a group advocating for women’s sports showed up at the Portland Thorns NWSL game, sporting XX-XY Athletics T-shirts and holding a banner that read “Save Women’s Sports.” The demonstration was peaceful; their shirts highlighted what they believe to be biological facts. However, this led to confrontational behavior from some Thorns supporters, who responded by striking them with a flagpole and verbally attacking them. Security intervened, physically restraining and forcibly removing some of the activists from the venue.

It was rather disheartening for those who pride themselves on being “tolerant” and “accepting.” After the game, when the team expressed gratitude to their fans, supporters of the “Save Women’s Sports” movement voiced their discontent.

After the match, the Thorns’ social media team shared a post that stated:

“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!”

It seems that social media didn’t hold back in response. A well-known columnist remarked, “Your fans are violent and you cheered them on,” while another journalist noted that security had allowed the situation to escalate, leading to assaults on women while ejecting the victims instead. Multiple users echoed sentiments of outrage, emphasizing the disturbing behavior of the fans and the reactions of security.

One user recounted a particularly shocking incident from that night: a male fan allegedly shoved a 57-year-old woman down several rows in the stands, simply for wearing an XX-XY shirt. That fan later expressed regret, claiming he was just “following the crowd.” The woman has reportedly filed a police report over the incident.

Interestingly, while Friday was labeled as Fan Appreciation Night, observers noted that the Thorns might have misjudged the atmosphere given the situation. Many commentators felt that the actions of the Thorns’ supporters, especially those in the supporter group, were unacceptable and intolerant.

This incident has sparked conversations about the perceived culture clash within women’s sports, with some contemplating the difference in attitudes between the NWSL and the WNBA. It raises questions about the current state of inclusivity and respect within the realm of sports and the extremes it can sometimes reach.