An Open Letter To Kids Who Pick On Male Dancers

On the episode of Dance Moms: Miami this week, the show very briefly touched on a major thing in dance, and I’m kind of disappointed they spent such little time on the issue.  For those who missed it, after Lucas was done practicing, he approached Victor and told him he’s being made fun of at school for dancing.  He’s being called gay by the other kids, and it’s hurting him.  Victor showed disappointment, but that was it. The scene was over and it wasn’t touched on again.

While Lucas said he isn’t gay, that point is completely irrelevant to my post because it really doesn’t matter if he is or isn’t.  Someone shouldn’t be made fun of for something they like to do, and it frustrates me to no end to see kids deal with that.  There have been so many gender breakthroughs over the course of history, yet dancers (and cheerleaders) and still stuck with the stigma that if you do that, you’re gay.

Here is what I want to say to any boy who makes fun of other boys this age doing these things…

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Look, I know you’re young, generally don’t understand a lot about life, and how you’ll be when you’re older.  In a few years, the girls you’re calling gross now are going to be very attractive, and you’re going to want to be around them.  I’m sure society will still tell you that in order to do that, you need to do “macho” things like play football, join wrestling or do MMA fighting.

Here are some things to consider, however…

• While you’re in a locker room full of guys, the same person you made fun of will be hanging around with cute girls in skimpy outfits as they practice dance or cheerleading.
• While you’re rolling around on the wrestling floor with a guy in spandex, that same kid is going to have his hands all over the girls you wish you could get.
• While you’re celebrating a touchdown by giving a bunch of guys hugs, that same boy is getting hugged by beautiful women for completing a dance routine.

So tell me, how does what you’re doing sound straight while dancing sounds gay?

Look, I’m not discouraging people from enjoying any activity whether it’s football, wresting, dancing or cheerleading.  I’m also certainly not calling football or wresting gay, I’m just pointing out that making fun of people for doing what they love is silly because what you’re doing could look just as bad.  It’s the advice to not throw stones while living in a glass house, and it holds true here.

Next time your friends tell you to make fun of someone for doing a “girly” thing, don’t be a follower.  Stand up to your friends and show them how that “girly” thing is actually not so crazy when you look at it from the big picture.  If you ask any straight guy whether they’d love to spend all day with hot women or guys in tights, they’re going to say hot women 10 out of 10 times.

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Thanks for reading, and I hope people can open their mind a little when it comes to these ridiculous stereotypes.