“I call for a boycott”: Minnesota Vikings add two male cheerleaders and the usual suspects can’t cope

The Minnesota Vikings have added two male cheerleaders to their current roster, and bigots are having the meltdown everyone could have predicted.

Who are the male cheerleaders for the Minnesota Vikings?

Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn joined the Vikings cheerleading squad this year. Although this isn’t a brand new development (a June post on the squad’s official Instagram page wishes Conn a happy birthday, and Shiek posted about joining up in May), attention was recently drawn thanks to several videos shared on social media.

Male cheerleaders have existed in the NFL for decades, even for the Vikings.

Even though male cheerleaders aren’t remotely a new phenomenon, the types of people who like to act as if society is in the midst of some crisis fueled by gender identity and the existence of gay people were quick to stoke the flames. And the people who listen to them, unfortunately, bought right in.

“I’ve been a Vikings fan all my life… sigh. I need a new team now,” wrote actor Kevin Sorbo.

“I call for a boycott of the Minnesota Vikings,” wrote X user @DisrespectedThe.

It’s not about cheerleading, but policing masculinity.

As much as the detractors and pearl-clutchers tried to protest, they just don’t have much ground to stand on. Cheerleaders have been mixed gender for a long time; these aren’t even the first male cheerleaders that have been rooting for the Vikings.

“why are people acting like the vikings cheerleader is the first male cheerleader to ever exist? not really getting it” wrote @gabbgoudy.

“I hate that people are trying to make this the new viral thing to hate on. Men in cheer and dance has BEEN a thing, like- idk since at least the 50s? Probably even before? Only now are they acting like this is the “new woke” thing of the month,” added @okayitskit.

Republican presidents have been cheerleaders too

Not to mention, several presidents—Republican presidents, at that—were cheerleaders back in their day, including Ronald Reagan at Eureka College, and George W Bush at Yale.

Some of the folks getting upset have tried to claim that the problem isn’t that there are male cheerleaders, but that there are male cheerleaders who aren’t acting out their personal view of how masculinity should present.

“I’ve been around college teams with male cheerleaders. At one point in time, they were called “Yell Kings.” They were all muscular and were the support structures for towers, etc. This guy dances like one of the girls. So gay IMO.”

“I personally don’t care there’s a dude on the cheer team, but like dudes have a role on a cheer team. Make him a dude. He’s acting as a woman. And it’s degrading to everyone involved.”

Although we don’t know Shiek and Conn’s sexualities, it seems safe to say this kind of outlook is pretty firmly rooted in homophobia. And no matter how regressive the U.S. might be getting, it’s still pathetic to see this attitude in action.

“if you’re genuinely mad that one nfl team has one zesty man as a cheerleader, you are mega soft”

“Male cheerleaders aren’t a new thing, fam. Don’t worry – he won’t make you gay.”

“imagine paying for front row tickets to an NFL game to pay attention to the cheerleaders and not the game that’s being played. if you can’t take your eyes off a man dancing in front of you then you have some stuff to come to terms with and accept within yourself.”

Earlier this year, OutSports noted that there were male cheerleaders on seven different NFL teams. Somehow, the world has continued turning.