- Two male cheerleaders for the Minnesota Vikings, Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn, have received extensive homophobic online abuse from right-wing commentators.
- The online backlash, which included criticism from figures like Kevin Sorbo, Jesse Kelly and Antonio Brown, intensified last week over the presence of male cheerleaders in the NFL.
- The Minnesota Vikings organization has publicly supported Shiek and Conn, affirming that all cheerleaders undergo the same rigorous audition process and are valued ambassadors for the team.
- Male cheerleaders have been part of NFL teams since 2018, with approximately one-third of clubs now including them, and have a long history in collegiate and high school sports.
- This controversy is indicative of a wider conservative push to reinforce traditional gender norms within professional and amateur sports.
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