“While many fans may be seeing male cheerleaders for the first time at Vikings games, male cheerleaders have been part of previous Vikings teams and have long been associated with collegiate and professional cheerleading,” the team said in a statement, according to Newsweek.
“We support all our cheerleaders and are proud of the role they play as ambassadors of the organization,” the team added.
The team took heavy criticism after posting a video on social media debuting the 2025 cheer squad in which male cheerleader Louie Conn was featured front and center. The team was further buffeted when a second man, who goes by the name Blaize Shiek, took to his own social media to announce that he, too, had been put on the 2025 MVC.
In other comments responding to the backlash, the Vikings pointed out that it is hardly the only team with men included on the cheer squad.
“In 2025, approximately one-third of NFL teams have male cheerleaders. Every member of the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders program has an impressive dance background and went through the same rigorous audition process. Individuals were selected because of their talent, passion for dance, and dedication to elevating the game day experience,” the team told Newsweek.
But many social media users and Vikings fans were unhappy with the woke decision to add men to the MVC.
Actor Kevin Sorbo, for instance, lamented that he may have to find a new team to root for.
Others were no less annoyed:
Then there was this hilarious AI-generated meme:
Both male cheerleaders have defended themselves or had friends and family back them up amid the backlash.
Louie Conn’s mother, for instance, said that her son has “more bravery in his little finger than most people,” the Star Tribune reported.
For his part, Blaize Shiek told his social media followers that he looks forward to “being that role model for other little kids who don’t know that this is an option.”
“I am so grateful for this journey, the support, and the opportunity to make a little history along the way,” Shiek wrote on Instagram. “I hope to represent and inspire what’s possible when you stay true to who you are.”
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, X at WTHuston, or Truth Social at @WarnerToddHuston.
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