Incident Involving XX-XY Athletics Supporters at Portland Thorns Game

Julie Lane, a resident of the Bay Area, attended a National Women’s Soccer League match wearing a shirt supporting XX-XY Athletics. She and approximately 20 others held signs reading Save Women’s Sports at the event. Their demonstration led to verbal and physical confrontations with other fans, resulting in security removing them from Providence Park.

After the game, Lane and three others ordered a Lyft to return to their hotel. The driver, recognizing them from recent news coverage, stopped the ride and asked them to exit his car. Lane recalled his words, “It’s my own private car, and I can cancel any ride I want to, and you don’t belong in my car.” This decision put the women, most of whom are over 50, in an unfamiliar and dark area of Portland. Lane, however, refused to exit the vehicle.

Lane cited two main reasons for staying. She had paid for the ride and felt her removal was due to her political views and attire. Additionally, she felt unsafe being abandoned in an unknown and poorly lit location. The driver eventually called the police, threatening to report them for trespassing unless they left his vehicle. Before officers arrived, the women arranged another ride with Uber and safely reached their destination.

Lane attempted to resolve the issue with Lyft support, who assured her that the driver would face disciplinary actions. However, the following day, Lane’s Lyft account was deactivated. Responding to inquiries about the incident, a Lyft spokesperson stated, “Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected on the Lyft platform, and discrimination of any kind has no place in our community.” The company is reviewing the incident, maintaining contact with both the rider and the driver.

This action by the driver might have breached Portland city rules. According to Section 16.40.280(C)(13), rideshare drivers cannot refuse transport to passengers of “proper demeanor” within the city after accepting the ride. The driver showed no remorse, instead complaining about the time it took to remove the XX-XY group from the stadium. He commented on security improvements, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community at Providence Park.

“He admits that he kicked us out for our T-shirts and our ‘anti-LGB activism,’ or something. And just to clarify, we were two lesbians and two bisexual women,” said Serbu, one of the ejected women.

The women were also met with boos and disapproval from other fans upon their exit. This confrontation with the Lyft driver represented a significant affront as they expressed views that many Americans share.