Inclusion Is a Commitment We Intend to Keep
The Sports Bra was created to support, promote, and empower girls and women in sports. As a place of inclusion and belonging, we want to provide a space for people who may not be comfortable in typical bar environments to enjoy sports. Our LGBTQ+ community members are enthusiastically welcome in our bar and restaurant.
To be completely clear, the “T” stands for Trans. We will always support and celebrate trans girls and trans women athletes, fans, and allies who love them.
Recently, guests refused to cover their trans-exclusionary messaging, and when asked several times to leave, they resisted. Instead, they took the opportunity to film a brief portion of the encounter, post it online, and promote it for engagement. The Sports Bra and our team members have been subjected to a wave of online attacks, hateful messages, negative reviews, and efforts to provoke further confrontations by people from all over the country.
We will not be intimidated out of standing up for our community.
What This Sign Means
Everyone is welcome at The Sports Bra. Hate is not.
A message or symbol doesn’t lose its power because it is printed on a T-shirt. Clothing can communicate as clearly as a sign or a spoken statement. Words and symbols can tell people they are valued and welcome, or that they do not belong. Once displayed in a shared space, that message affects more than the person wearing it. It becomes part of the experience of every guest and team member, including the people it targets.
So no, this was not simply about “kicking people out for a T-shirt.” It was about guests choosing to display a message calling for the exclusion of trans women and girls inside a space built to support them, then refusing repeated opportunities to cover that message and remain to enjoy the match. We will not ask trans guests and team members to absorb language that denies their existence so someone else can make a point.
We are not the thought police. We recognize that people contain multitudes of intersectional identities and conflicting opinions. We welcome diversity in all its shapes, sizes, and colors. But we draw the line when those opinions are imposed on others in our space in ways that go against our commitment to inclusivity or threaten the safety of our community.
We are responsible for what happens inside our space, and we simply will not permit conduct or messages that demean, exclude, or target members of our community. We will exercise our right to ask people to leave who don’t abide by our simple guidelines for mutual respect.
That standard applies equally. No matter the political position, identity, or individual being targeted, threatening, abusive, discriminatory, demeaning, or exclusionary language, images, signs, symbols, apparel, and conduct are not allowed.
Our stance on the message that led us to post this sign is equally clear: Trans women and girls belong in women’s and girls’ sports. Trans athletes deserve the same opportunities to play, compete, grow, and experience the life-changing power of being part of a team.
We will always advocate for inclusion.
This Is Not a Time to Be Quiet
Trans people are being told loudly and repeatedly that they do not belong, that they are less than, that their mere existence is somehow a threat. Their safety is at risk every single day. Your silence leaves those voices unanswered and makes the trans community unsafe.
If you support trans people, speak up and say so. Trans people in your family, workplace, neighborhood, stands, and locker rooms need to hear from you right now. They need more than quiet agreement. They need to know who will stand beside them when someone challenges their dignity and existence. This is that moment.
You don’t have to have all the answers. Advocacy can be as simple as saying:
Trans people are people. Trans athletes belong in sports. I support them.
Support the People and Places Willing to Speak Up
We continue to be bombarded with hundreds of hateful messages. Businesses that publicly support trans people are sometimes met with harassment, threats, coordinated negative reviews, and calls for boycotts. Community support matters in those moments.
Support the businesses that stand behind their values. Visit them. Buy from them. Leave an honest review. Share their posts. Recommend them to friends. Let their team members know that creating an inclusive space matters to you.
And if you own or lead a business that supports trans people, do not be afraid to say so. Put your values in writing. Prepare your staff. Back them up when those values are tested. We are stronger together, and we’ll support you, too.
Equip Yourself with Knowledge
If you want to learn more about transgender athletes and become a better-informed ally and advocate, start here:
- TransAthlete.com brings together information about trans inclusion and athletic policies at different levels of play, along with resources for allies and advocates.
- Athlete Ally provides extensive research, educational materials, and practical tools for creating more inclusive athletic communities.
Listen to trans athletes. Learn from people doing this work. Question information designed to turn a small and vulnerable community into a threat. Then share what you learn.