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"It makes me sick that people are so small-minded and so mean," Kathleen Conn said of her 22-year-old son, Louie.
The mother of Minnesota Vikings cheerleader Louie Conn is speaking out after her son's debut on the sidelines resulted in a heated debate online.
In an interview with The Minnesota Star Tribune, Kathleen Conn admitted the overwhelming reaction to Louie's hiring has been tough on the family.
"He's 22. Of course he reads it all," Kathleen told the outlet.
Louie and fellow male Vikings cheerleader Blaize Shiek made their on-field debuts August 9, during the team's preseason matchup against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
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But the history-making moment came with its fair share of backlash, with critics taking to the Vikings' social media accounts, as well as Louie and Shiek’s personal pages, with hateful comments in recent weeks.
"This kid, I'm so incredibly proud of him," Kathleen said. "It makes me sick that people are so small-minded and so mean. For somebody with his talent and work ethic achieving these goals, just to get slammed for doing something he's incredible at, passionate about, and doing something he loves."
She added, "You wouldn't think you'd have this in Minneapolis, the honest to God's truth."
Before joining the Vikings squad, Louie was a member of the Iowa State University dance team, where, according to his former teacher, he already faced adversity.
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"Being a boy in the Midwest who dances is already a strike against you," Louie's former dance coach, Kimberly Munn, told the Star Tribune. "He is one of the kindest human beings I've ever met. All of the stones that have been thrown at him -- he could be such a different person than who he is today. He's never allowed that to define him. He works his tail off."
Despite the criticism, Louie and Shiek have full support from their coaches and teammates.
"Proud to lead a team that evolves, pushes boundaries, and reflects the full spectrum of talent," Vikings cheerleading head coach Jacie Scott shared on social media. "Excellence has never looked just one way. And, thankfully, it never will."
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The cheerleaders themselves even addressed the controversy with a cheeky Instagram post.
"Wait…did someone say our name?," Shiek captioned a photo of the pair in uniform on August 16.
The Vikings kick off their 2025 regular season on September 8 against the Chicago Bears, with both Louie and Shiek expected to be on the sidelines helping to cheer them on.
