NFL fans have been left incensed by a controversial new video showing male cheerleaders dancing with their female counterparts in the same bathroom.
The footage was shared to social media by Vikings cheerleader Brianna Putney and featured Blaze Shiek and Louie Conn, who have recently been subjected to a backlash over their involvement in the team’s cheerleading squad forr the new season.
The group were dancing to the song ‘Truth Hurts’ by Lizzo, which features the line in the lyrics ‘new man on the Minnesota Vikings’.
In what appeared to be a pointed caption at the backlash at Shiek and Conn this week, Putney wrote: ‘NEW MEN ON THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS’.
The now viral TikTok post has been met with outrage by many NFL fans across social media, with one angry observer saying on X: ‘Female Vikings cheerleaders in a restroom, then the male cheerleaders follow them in. At this point, it feels like they’re just mocking Americans.’
A different response said: ‘Vikings Fans need to Boycott! This is not about Football or Politics. It is about our Children and Grand Children. Shut This Down Now!’
Blaze Shiek and Louie Conn danced in the same bathroom as their female colleagues in a new video from the Minnesota Vikings cheeleading group
Sheik and Conn have remianed defiant amid intensifying scrutiny on their roles
Another wrote: ‘This is what happens when we prioritize inclusion over common sense and basic privacy.’
Shiek and Conn haven’t responded to any backlash on the video at the time of writiing. But they have remained defiant in the face of intensifying scrutiny across the last few days.
Earlier this week, Conn wrote on Instagram: ‘I’ve never felt so loved. Thank you everyone for the most amazing words and support.’
The inclusion of male cheerleaders has been a major talking point as the new NFL season approaches, even though they have been involved with teams before now.
It even hit Fox News this week, where Will Cain called for his former co-host and current U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to weigh in on the matter.
Since Hegseth is a Minneapolis native and diehard Vikings fan, Cain naturally thought the defense secretary might be able to get involved.
‘I do know somebody who is a Minnesota Vikings fan, and I imagine he had a pretty big hand in those B-52s flying over Vladimir Putin’s head today in Alaska,’ Cain said, referring to Donald Trump’s brief meting with the Russian President. ‘So I don’t know, maybe we need to call the Secretary of Defense.’
Conn and Shiek recieved support from a perhaps unlikely source this week in legendary British olympian Sharron Davies, who now works in broadcasting.
Minnesota Vikings cheerleader Blaize Shiek performs before a recent preseason game
‘I’m all for this,’ the 62-year-old wrote on X, reposting a video of the pair dancing on the field. ‘Us females cannot have it every which way, if we want equality it must go both ways.’
Meanwhile, the first trans cheerleader in the NFL announced this week that they are stepping away from football with the new season just days away.
Justine Lindsay confirmed in a statement that she will not be working with the Carolina Panthers this year, explaining: ”For now, I’m focusing on my pageantry work and community involvement, striving to be recognized not just as an NFL cheerleader, but as someone making a positive impact, especially during these uncertain times.
‘Being in the NFL was a stepping stone to get me where I need to be, and God is blessing me each and every day… My focus is to educate and uplift the younger generation of leaders to focus on their dreams and goals.
‘Don’t let a president who is delusional stop them from reaching their goals whether they are trans, African American, not American, etc.’
Lindsay, 32, made history in 2022 when she joined the TopCats, becoming the first transgender woman to cheer in the NFL.
