Controversy Arises Over Ejection of Protesters from Lyft Ride

Julie Lane experienced an altercation at a National Women’s Soccer League game in Portland. A Portland Thorns fan pushed her, causing her to fall over two rows of seats. Lane, along with approximately 20 others, wore XX-XY Athletics shirts and displayed a “Save Women’s Sports” sign. Their demonstration led to verbal and physical confrontations with other spectators. Consequently, security at Providence Park removed her group from the venue.

After the event, Lane and three others faced another challenge. A Lyft driver asked if they were the women from the news. Linda Serbu answered affirmatively, assuming he supported them. However, the driver then pulled over and insisted they exit his vehicle. He stated, “it’s my own private car, and I can cancel any ride I want to, and you don’t belong in my car,” according to Lane.

The women in the group were mostly over 50, with Serbu using a walker stored in the trunk. They were unfamiliar with their surroundings when asked to leave the vehicle. Lane decided not to exit for two main reasons: she had paid for the service and felt unsafe. The area was described by Lane as a “dark corner of Portland.”

The driver intended to call the police to report them for trespassing. Lane welcomed the idea, wanting to discuss the situation with authorities. Yet, the group left before police arrived, hailing an Uber to reach their destination. Lane contacted Lyft support during this time, who assured her the driver would face disciplinary action. However, Lane discovered her Lyft account was deactivated the following day.

A Lyft spokesperson replied to OutKick, “Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected on the Lyft platform, and discrimination of any kind has no place in our community. Our Safety team was in contact with both the rider and the driver involved and we are continuing to review the incident.”

Portland city regulations may have been violated by the driver. Section 16.40.280(C)(13) of the city code prohibits rideshare drivers from refusing service to passengers of proper demeanor after accepting their rides. The driver showed no remorse, discussing the incident on Reddit. He claimed the XX-XY group took too long to be removed from the stadium and urged better safety measures for LGBTQ+ fans at Providence Park.

Serbu noted the irony in the driver’s actions, saying, “He admits that he kicked us out for our T-shirts and our, quote, ‘anti-LGB activism,’ or something. And just to clarify, we were two lesbians and two bisexual women.”

Lingering animosity from the Thorns fans accompanied the women even after they left the stadium, as they endured boos and insults. This experience highlighted the tensions present in Portland.