Gender Mercies — A regular reader of this site requests YOUR comments on: Adding a MALE to the UCLA Dance Team
Hi everyone. Yesterday, I received an email from a longtime BeatSC.com reader, who is about to be entering UCLA as a new student. He would like to hear your opinions of a MALE joining the legendary UCLA Dance Team, which, to this point, has always been exclusively female.
The Spirit Squad is made up of FOUR units: The Dance Team, The Cheer Squad, The Yell Crew, and The Mascots. Males have always, for as long as I can remember, been a huge part of the last three of those units. Personally, I would like to keep the Dance Team exclusively female. I detailed my feeling about this in my article after the Auditions this May, because there was a Male trying out for Dance. Here is a link to that article: http://beatsc.com/my-heart-is-breaking-bad/#comments .
Again, I apologize for my strongly-worded opinion. I don’t want to appear sexist, old-fashioned, or inconsiderate of anyone’s rights to pursue their dreams — But I have to be honest with you and share my real feelings, as outdated or out-of-touch as they may be.
Anyway, this kind, polite reader asked me to elicit YOUR opinions on this issue. Please be nice in your responses — for all I know, this reader IS the young man who auditioned for the team.
Thanks. Now just to get this article more exposure, here are the last 50 photos I want to share from those very same 2016 Auditions.
Comments
5 responses to “WHETHER RAIN OR SNOW OR SLEET OR HAIL, THE MALE MUST NOT GET THROUGH”
The Dance Team is one of UCLA’s most beloved and cherished dynasties in the school for being one of the most beautiful (and, sorry for being so crass, but hottest) all-female squads in the country.
They bring so much extra publicity and prestige as a beautiful all-female squad and having it mixed would alter this reputation.
Having a mixed team would just simply make it a different kind of squad. I know for a fact, as an alum, and based on my fellow Bruin friends, we love having one of the hottest, if not the most beautiful female squads in the country. But it wouldn’t be quite the same if it suddenly became mixed.
(The campus has a hundred dance clubs and organizations. I’m sure there’s several to choose from if u really want to join a dance team).
I think having a male on the dance team would jeopardize the continuity in appearance that the team requires. Instead, why doesn’t he try to start a male dance team?
I’ve never been a fan of forced gender inclusion solely for its own sake.
No question that he should be ball allowed to try out, and no question that he shouldn’t make the team. I know it’s biased, but right is right. In the interest of fairness and perhaps compliance, he should feel free to form an all male cheerleadiing team ……separate but hardly equal.
UCLA is all about change so if this guy considers himself a supporter and a true bruin he should accept it and not try to prevent it. Many students are accepted into UCLA for aspiring to change the world and it’s truly disappointing that you would stop a young man from doing what he loves because of your traditional views and close minded way of thinking. It’s not a political issue it’s merely a young man who likes a certain style of dance and would like to showcase his skill.
Also, on the spirit squad page they clearly state that males can be and are encouraged to tryout and be apart of the dance team. If the director and her staff are open to adding males to their dance team, then I feel that’s how it should be. I’m sure the spirit squad staff knows a lot about the dance world and know who they encourage to be a part of their squad.
[T-H’S Note: Yes, in my article where I voiced my opinion, I allowed for all the factors you mention (in your two logical and thoughtful comments which I fully respect). I said that I believe in equality, and equal opportunity, and I even said that I wouldn’t ban a male from auditioning. Change and progress are all fine and good, but there is also something to be said for honoring tradition. The UCLA Dance Team represents the pinnacle of feminine beauty and grace. There are other units for a male to join, and like the other commenters have written, there are other intramural dance troupes that a male can join, or he can even start his own. Why damage (in MANY people’s eyes) the sterling reputation of the Country’s ELITE Dance Team?]