The two Minnesota Vikings male cheerleaders who were inadvertently thrust in the limelight after joining the team last year will be back cheering and dancing on the sidelines for a second season.
Louie Conn and Blaize Shiek, both of who are gay, made the announcement this week after the team held its tryouts.
“Year 2 as a Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader🤩💜,” Conn wrote on Instagram. “I can’t even believe the words I just typed. Life is a dream and I love it here.”
“Did someone say YEAR 2!! 🥹😭,” Shiek wrote on his account.
“Words can’t fully express how grateful and proud I am to continue representing the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders — and even more proud to represent this community exactly as I am. Thank you for the endless support. Forever grateful. #nflcheerleaders #lgbt #fyp #explore #minnesotavikings“
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There were 71 male cheerleaders on 11 NFL teams in 2025, yet none got the attention that Conn and Shiek did and it had nothing to do with them seeking the spotlight. Instead it was the perfect combination of a conservative influencer with a large social media presence being aggrieved.
“Imagine you buy front row season football tickets and when you sit down there’s some man girating right in front of you,” Owen Shroyer (472,000 visitors) posted on X, misspelling “gyrating” in the process. His post from the Vikings’ first preseason games got 2.8 million views.
The two cheerleaders took it all in stride, with Conn cheekily posting a reply on Instagram that simply said: “wait…did someone say our name?”
Louie Conn performs during a 2025 game. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
The kerfuffle eventually died down when people realized how dopey it was to be bothered by male cheerleaders, considering men have been a thing on pep squads for decades and as cheerleaders since the Rams hired their first two in 2018.
The story was big enough that Conn and Shiek were representatives of gay male cheerleaders who were selected as Outsports’ Persons of the Year. Being out as a gay man in sports was not lost on Shiek.
Minnesota Vikings cheerleader Blaize Shiek stands for the National Anthem before the game between the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
“Being able to represent this community is incredibly meaningful to me, and I don’t take that responsibility lightly,” Shielk said about the Person of the Year award. “MVC has given me a platform, and I’m grateful for the chance to use it to inspire others to be proud of who they are and to know that they belong. I hope this recognition encourages more people to live openly and confidently, both in sports and beyond.”
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