Last week the radical cheerleading group of which I am a member was featured in a story in the CATALYST, a progressive Utah magazine. I have pasted the article below.
Cheering is becoming a great way for me to channel my voice. Two of us teach at the same school and are beginning to promote cheerleading there as an “art”. I’ll post updates here as that project progresses.
Action Girls: Pom-Poms for Peace
Pom-Poms Not Bomb-Bombs put some cheer back in activism
By Pax Rasmussen
November came and went, leaving just as much shrubbery in the White House, possibly even more firmly rooted. Many of us still haven’t recovered from that, and now, with Bush’s new budget cutting or reducing funding to many needed social programs and sending huge wads of cash the way of the military, some of us may be having a hard time finding a way to stay positive.
Not so for Pom-Poms Not Bomb-Bombs — Utah’s very own Radical Cheerleading squad. This spunky team of Salt Lake women shows their opinions about the current state of affairs and stays happy at the same time. Armed with flashy tinsel-and-confetti pompoms and bright, homemade t-shirts proffering peace, they show up around town bringing a little cheer (literally) to protests and demonstrations.
The group — Deanna Taylor, Shea Pickelner, Raphael Cordray, Jenni Kilpack-Knutsen and Bonnie Tyler (ranging in age from 27 to 45) — first came together in October 2002. They’d been attending the weekly vigil held by People For Peace and Justice outside the Federal Building in protest of the then-growing momentum towards war in Iraq. A group of cheerleaders from Calgary happened to be there as well, in Utah for a cheerleader training camp). “I always wanted to be a cheerleader, but never got a chance,” says Kilpack-Knutsen. Some ideas are just too good to let pass by.
Radical Cheerleading certainly is out of the ordinary, and Tyler believes what they’re doing is important. Violent and stratifying current events can evoke negative, sullen reactions. “There hasn’t been much that’s positive lately,” she says. “This has to be a positive movement. At least we can still laugh.”
Pickelner agrees. “It makes me a happier activist,” she says. “It’s nice to be doing something to change things and not be getting depressed.” These women don’t believe activism has to be angry about what’s wrong, but instead can be humorous and jovial. Free speech takes many forms. “It breaks the expected role of protesting and arouses people’s curiosity,” says Tyler.
Right now they’re working hard on their outfits and practicing long on their cheers. Up till now, they’ve performed three to four times per year, at public events and protests as diverse as Women’s Day, the Gay Pride Parade and the Michael Moore demonstration in Utah County. They’ve even supported the Kingston Co-Op miner’s strike. And they’re getting a little notoriety. “‘Look! There’s those cheerleaders!’ people say,” laughs Taylor. Filmed during the Michael Moore demonstration, the group appeared on Fox News Sports Page shouting, “Radical Cheerleaders support free speech in Utah County and?it’s Runge Time!”
They’ve got plans for the future, too. Right now it’s just the five of them, but they’d like to see the squad grow. With a few more members, they could perform louder cheers and more complicated maneuvers. Also, Taylor hopes to see an increase in the number of events they get invited to. Usually they hear about something going on and get permission to perform, but they hope that soon the calls will come rolling in.
You don’t have long to wait if you want to see these Radical Cheerleaders. They’ll be marching in this month’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Two days later, they’ll be out in full force at the United for Peace and Justice Protest (in recognition of the two year anniversary of the official start of the war in Iraq), which will begin at 1 pm outside the Federal Building. They’ll keep cheering until they get what they want, which is pretty basic stuff, claims Tyler. “All we want is world peace and justice. That’s where we’re headed,” she laughs.
We’re Pom Poms not bomb bombs,
And we don’t take no mess!
We’re gonna put our country to the test!
So, stand up and speak out
Let’s say what must be said:
If we don’t take some action….
DEMOCRACY IS DEAD!
Info on the web:Pom Poms Not Bomb Bombs
(This article was first printed in Catalyst Magazine))
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 