{"id":46058,"date":"2025-08-26T10:54:33","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T14:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=46058"},"modified":"2025-08-26T10:54:33","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T14:54:33","slug":"minnesota-vikings-slammed-after-controversial-male-cheerleaders-seen-in-same-bathroom-as-female-cheerleaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2025\/08\/minnesota-vikings-slammed-after-controversial-male-cheerleaders-seen-in-same-bathroom-as-female-cheerleaders.html","title":{"rendered":"Minnesota Vikings Slammed After Controversial Male Cheerleaders Seen in Same Bathroom as Female Cheerleaders"},"content":{"rendered":"
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@libsoftiktok \/ X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A video sparked media outrage after it featured the Minnesota Vikings\u2019 controversial male cheerleaders performing a dance in the same bathroom as the team\u2019s female cheerleaders. Vikings cheerleader Brianna Putney shared a video to social media that featured male cheerleaders\u00a0Blaze Shiek and Louie Conn in the same bathroom as female cheerleaders doing a dance to Lizzo\u2019s \u201cTruth Hurts.\u201d \u201cNEW MEN ON THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS\u201d wrote Putney.<\/p>\n

The social media reaction was swift. \u201cThe Minnesota Vikings show off their new male cheerleaders with a video of them sharing a bathroom with the female cheerleaders,\u201d conservative watchdog Libs of TikTok wrote on its page<\/a>. \u201cFemale Vikings cheerleaders in a restroom, then the male cheerleaders follow them in. At this point, it feels like they\u2019re just mocking Americans,\u201d wrote another user on X. Others encouraged Vikings fans to boycott the team.<\/p>\n

Speaking about the video on Fox News<\/em><\/a>, former Vikings player Jack Brewer said the inclusion of male cheerleaders is an attempt to \u201cmanipulate children.\u201d \u201cThis is purely an attempt to manipulate young children, to overtake the minds of young children with this spiritual evilness. The influence on kids is manipulating the mind of the children. They are teaching young boys that it\u2019s OK to have pom-poms and cheer and act like women,\u201d he said. The NFL\u2019s first openly trans cheerleader, Justine Lindsay, has also courted controversy as a biological man presenting himself as a female cheerleader. Lindsay has recently announced<\/a> he will not return for the new NFL season and will be \u201cfocusing on my pageantry work and community involvement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neither Shiek nor Conn have addressed the controversy directly, but the Vikings had already received backlash for including male cheerleaders on the squad prior to the video after the team had released a promotional video featuring its cheer team. The team, however, has remained firm in its support for males on the squad. \u201cWhile 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,\u201d the team wrote in a statement<\/a>. \u201cIn 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. We support all our cheerleaders and are proud of the role they play as ambassadors of the organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A video sparked media outrage after it featured the Minnesota Vikings\u2019 controversial male cheerleaders performing a dance in the same bathroom as the team\u2019s female cheerleaders. Vikings cheerleader Brianna Putney shared a video to social media that featured male cheerleaders\u00a0Blaze Shiek and Louie Conn in the same bathroom as female cheerleaders doing a dance to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":46061,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46058","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"\nMinnesota Vikings Slammed After Controversial Male Cheerleaders Seen in Same Bathroom as Female Cheerleaders<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A viral Vikings cheerleader video featuring men dancing in a women\u2019s bathroom sparks outrage, boycotts, and debate over NFL values.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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