A group of friends who went out drinking in Portland, Oregon, had a night to remember for all the wrong reasons. According to an employee of 'The Sports Bra' in Northeast Portland, the group walked in wearing T-shirts that made others uncomfortable.
Videos by Wide Open Country
According to KOIN, the group was denied service due to their 'pro-women' t-shirts.
"There are people that are in here that are uncomfortable with those shirts, and so I'm asking y'all to leave," a member of staff can be heard telling Amy Sousa in a video that was uploaded to social media. "If I have to call authorities to get you all removed, I will. I've had complaints by customers already."
Later in the video, a member of the group can be heard fighting their case against the staff member. They noted that they believed there was nothing wrong with the T-shirts they were wearing or the messaging they displayed.
"'"There is nothing wrong with these shirts," one member of the group said.
Interestingly, 'The Sports Bra' is a sporting venue dedicated to women's sports. Therefore, you can imagine the shock upon the video being posted online regarding the situation the group of women found themselves in.
'The Sports Bra' Has Since Posted a Statement Online
Following the incident and the subsequent attention on social media, 'The Sports Bra' posted a statement on its Instagram page.
"At The Sports Bra, our mission is simple: support, promote, and empower ALL girls and women in sports. To be clear: trans girls are girls, and trans women are women," the statement said. "Since day one, we've built our space to be inclusive, especially for people who don't feel comfortable at a traditional sports bar. That includes LGBTQ+ community members. As a reminder, the T stands for trans. We welcome people of every identity and background, but we do not tolerate messages or conduct that demean or exclude the very community we exist to serve and celebrate."
Later in the statement, the bar noted that it did offer the group an ultimatum. The offer was that they could either cover their T-Shirts or leave the establishment.
"'"On Sunday, Sept. 6, a group entered wearing apparel with messages advocating for the exclusion of trans women from sports,' it read. 'When our team respectfully gave the group the choice to cover the anti-trans messaging or leave, they chose to leave."
The situation has undoubtedly caused a divide online. That discourse is expected to continue for quite some time.
