Male Cheerleaders Make Conservatives See Red

The NFL’s Minnesota Vikings have introduced their first-ever male cheerleaders: dancers Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn are set to lead the squad into the next season’s postseason run. On social media, the announcement drew a mixed reception—enthusiasm from many, but sharp criticism from conservatives who argued that men don’t belong in this role because they come off as “girlish” or “effeminate.” Some particularly irritated fans even threatened to return their season tickets.

The backlash was also fanned by queerphobic commentators like Owen Shroyer. The Trump supporter who participated in the January 6, 2021 riot and was sentenced to 60 days in prison in 2023 hosts a show on the right-wing conspiracy hub InfoWars. He complained on X that a man in the front row “swivels his hips.” He also shared a promo video of the Vikings’ cheerleaders.

Many users poked fun at the post. One wrote, for example, “Yeah, he blocks your view of the husky man in tight shorts, whose hands are between the legs of the other man in tight shorts. Did you know they shower together after games too? But that dancing guy! That’s going too far!”

Male cheerleaders, by the way, are not unusual in the NFL. In total, about a dozen teams employ dancers in this capacity. The Los Angeles Rams were the first major squad to hire a male cheerleader in 2018. The Baltimore Ravens, who won the Super Bowl in 2000 and 2012 and so became national champions, now boast 19 cheerleaders on their roster this season.

In 2022, the NFL also saw its first openly transgender cheerleader, Justine Lindsay. She is back with the Carolina Panthers this season, the team based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Cheerleaders must go through the same rigorous audition process as their numerically larger female counterparts, who in the United States take this activity to the level of a team sport. Men, because of their typically more robust builds, are often used as “bases”—the ones who lift, toss, and catch other performers.

Even Republican U.S. presidents were cheerleaders

By the way, this isn’t about partisan politics—at least not historically. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, who aren’t typically described as left-leaning dreamers, reportedly cheered in college according to FloCheer. Bush even served as a high school cheerleader during his senior year.

In the NFL, anti-queer hostility is widespread. Last year, Harrison Butker, who helped the Kansas City Chiefs win the championship, labeled homosexuality a “mortal sin” (TheColu.mn reported).

Still, there is progress: Carl Nassib became the first openly gay active NFL player in 2021 (TheColu.mn reported).