Men Shaking Pom-Poms Isn’t the Hill to Die On

Letting a few guys on the pom-pom squad isn’t a threat to womanhood, and it might be part of the solution.

Reality’s Last Stand is a reader-supported publication. Please consider becoming a paying subscriber or making a one-time or recurring donation to show your support.

About the Author

Dr. Colin Wright is an evolutionary biology PhD, Manhattan Institute Fellow, and CEO/Editor-in-Chief of Reality’s Last Stand. His writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Times, the New York Post, Newsweek, City Journal, Quillette, Queer Majority, and other major news outlets and peer-reviewed journals.

---

We live in a time when you hardly go a day without being bombarded with the latest “2SLGBTQIA+” progressive imagery and ideology. It’s in children’s TV shows, public schools and universities, corporate marketing campaigns, professional sports, and even the (previous) government’s official messaging. And just when you think you’ve escaped it—say, by going for a peaceful walk in the forest—you find trail signs telling you the woods are “queer” and asking you to check your privilege.

There’s no break, no reprieve. This constant saturation has led to what many people now call “Pride Fatigue.” I feel it myself.

The latest example popped up when the Minnesota Vikings revealed that two men would be joining their cheerleading squad next season. Male cheerleaders aren’t new, but what makes this different is that they won’t be in the traditional male role of lifting and tossing female cheerleaders—they’ll be dancing and waving pom-poms in the style typically reserved for women. That’s what sparked some outrage.

Some critics see this as “taking spots from women,” similar to the way male athletes identifying as women are taking places on female sports teams. But these aren’t the same thing. Sports are separated by sex for fairness and safety. Pom-pom dancing is female-dominated mostly because of tradition and social norms. That’s a meaningful difference.