Fed up with bars that wouldn't play women's sports, she opened one that plays nothing but

At first glance, Jenny Nguyen's sports bar in Portland, Ore., is like any other. There are rows of beer taps, autographed jerseys hanging from the ceiling, signed posters lining the walls and of course, big-screen TVs showcasing the latest game or match.

There's just one, subtle difference. The Sports Bra — no, that's not a misspelling — is levelling the playing field by showcasing women athletes. Since it opened in April 2022 The Sports Bra, which bills itself as the world's first women's sports bar, has won fans around the world by unapologetically playing only women's sports on its televisions. 

"The only thing we're changing is who's on that poster? Who signed that ball? Whose jersey is that?" said Nguyen.

If there are no women's games on, staff will replay old matches. Or, to protest the lack of coverage, they'll leave the screens off. Nguyen says men's sports will never be shown at the Sports Bra because space for women's sports needs to be defended. 

That sentiment is driving very public discussions about equality in women's sports around the world, with the Canadian women's soccer team's labour dispute with Canada Soccer a prominent recent example.

Players wore their jerseys inside out during some training sessions this month to protest budget cuts affecting the women's side and its support staff. The women want the same backing and preparation ahead of this summer's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand that the men's team got before Qatar. 

To keep pressure on their governing body, the team and some of their opponents wore purple shirts and armbands, a colour associated with gender equality, for games during the SheBelieves Cup. 

In its 2018 budget, the Canadian government set a target to achieve gender