I wasnt sure if anyone was going to need them, but I definitely was.
Sure enough, when the match ended, we just passed those boxes around.
There was this moment of oneness and community that felt so special to me.
Jane G Photography / Amanda K Bailey
Theres never been a better time for it.
People are just so quickly caught off guard by women being prioritized, owner Jillian Hiscock tells SELF.
Its not just the decor and the programming that puts women front and center.
Dorothy Wang
The environment can be very off-putting, and especially not welcoming [for] women and/or queer patrons.
And its not that therearentmen at these barsbecause men do, in fact, watch womens sports.
Its a phenomenal experience to be around other women who love sports as much as I do.
Jane G Photography
Because womens sports bars are built with inclusion in mind, they often cater to lots of marginalized groups.
We worked really hard to be intentional about making this place accessible and community-oriented, says Hiscock.
The space also has gender-neutral restrooms.
Jane G Photography
Even if these bars show only (or mostly) womens sports, they arent designedjustto attract women.
As a result, many of the womens sports bars actually have a pretty diverse clientele.
So while most are openly LGBTQ-friendly, theyre not exclusively queer or lesbian bars.
Jane G Photography
Just having basic access can go far.
Want to tune into the National Womens Soccer League too?
Prime Video will run you another $8.99 per month.)
Jane G Photography
All of this can make it hard for an audience to develop and for womens sports to grow.
We play a really critical part in building the fan base through viewership, says Barnes.
Its an if you build it, they will come situation.
Courtesy of Rough&Tumble
People said no ones interested in womens sports, says Lough.
How can there be interest if you dont build an audience?
Bars like this build the audience.
Jane G Photography
Turns out, people are interested in womens sports.
Look what happens when we put it on accessible channels.
The viewership grows exponentially.
Now that its here, its our duty to help it thrive.
And if you dont have one nearby, the Sports Bra is now taking franchise applications.
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