Sports Bra sports bar drinks to greater equality

A rare sports bar dedicated to showing women's sports has built a loyal following in the north-western United States, with the founder and many patrons hoping progress towards equality for female athletes will come with the growing popularity of such establishments.

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PORTLAND - A rare sports bar dedicated to showing women's sports has built a loyal following in the north-western United States, with the founder and many patrons hoping progress towards equality for female athletes will come with the growing popularity of such establishments.

The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon opened its doors in 2022 to great community reception.

"The line was four blocks long the entire weekend when we first opened. It was mayhem," said Jenny Nguyen, the founder of what is believed to be the country's first women's sports bar.

Of the gender-based wordplay in the name, created by inverting two letters, the 45-year-old called it "a tiny change that makes a dramatic difference".

She said the bar is a place where she imagined women's sports would not only be shown in a corner on the smallest TV, as at other venues, but instead on every screen and with the whole crowd invested in the games.

But what really convinced Nguyen to open the business is what she thought it could mean for young girls just beginning to take an interest in sports.