A pair of Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders are dividing the internet.
Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn are the first ever men to join the team’s ranks, sparking both support and backlash online.
The Vikings organization is defending their cheerleaders saying in a statement saying, “We support all our cheerleaders and are proud of the role they play as ambassadors of the organization.”
Speaking with Good Morning America Wednesday, three Philadelphia eagles male cheerleaders shared a message for Blaize and Louie. Eagles cheerleader, Alex fan said, “We know what it feels like to feel that somebody doesn’t support you for simply doing something that you enjoy, and so it’s been really a pleasure to be on a team that as multiple boys where we can fall back on each other.”
The first male NFL cheerleaders were introduced in 2018 by the Rams. Today, roughly 1/3 of all NFL teams have male cheerleaders.