Seattle dance squad says they were told American flag shirts made audience members feel 'triggered and unsafe' | Fox News
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Members of a regional women's country line dance team were reportedly kicked out of a Seattle dance convention after organizers claimed their American flag-themed shirts made some attendees feel "triggered and unsafe."
Over the weekend at the Emerald City Hoedown in Seattle, the Borderline Dance team was set to perform, but were essentially told they weren't welcome by organizer Rain Country Dance Association, an LGBTQ+ dance community, over their matching American flag themed shirts, Jason Rantz reported for 770 KTTH.
"Unfortunately, what our team was met with upon arrival was that our flag tops were offensive to some of the convention goers," the dance group posted to Facebook. "There was a small group that felt 'triggered and unsafe.'"
Co-captain Lindsay Stamp spoke with Rantz for The Jason Rantz Show, explaining that their costumes sparked a "small percentage" of complainants who brought up Israel's war against Hamas and transgender issues.
"At first we were told we would just be boo'd, yelled at and likely many of them would walk out," the group's Facebook post explained. "This did not deter us. But then we were given an ultimatum. Remove the flag tops and perform in either street clothes (which most didn't bring as they traveled there in their uniforms) or they would supply us with ECH shirts from years past… Or, don't perform at all, which effectively was asking us to leave."
"We don't speak for our team, we speak on behalf of them so the choice was theirs," the post said. "As we knew would happen because there really was no choice in our minds, it was a unanimous NO."
The Borderline Dance Team
Stamp told Rantz that members of the team were shocked after they spent only 30 minutes at the venue before they started receiving complaints, adding that the team is patriotic, but doesn't make statements about politics.
"My team doesn't take a political stance. We came to dance," she said. "We're a patriotic group. We support our military, our veterans, our first responders. We're a group of patriots."
In the Facebook post, the group said they were not the only one that received this treatment.
"Our friends, West Coast Country Heat, who were also scheduled to dance for the convention that evening also did not perform as they too proudly don the colors of our country in the same spirit of patriotism that we do," the post said. "Both of our teams stood in solidarity and put actions to words."
But, the group said watching the two teams band together was "the greatest performance."
"These people are strong, resolute and unwavering in their patriotism," the Borderline Dance Team said. "They are the families and friends of people who have suffered the unimaginable so that we may all have our own opinions and sleep soundly in our beds at night. THAT is why we wear the colors. Because although we may not always agree with the current state of things, we recognize that being an American means true FREEDOM."
"We all understood and accepted this and walked out with class and dignity despite the discrimination we had experienced," the post added.
The Rain Country Dance Association did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment but indirectly addressed the incident on Facebook.
"Hi y'all! After the close of another amazing Hoedown weekend, we know there are some questions about the Saturday night performance line-up," the post read. "We appreciate y'all giving us the time to clear up misunderstandings and address the situation with people directly involved. We will be posting a follow-up statement later this week once we are able to have those conversations."
In a Facebook comment, board president Ziadee Cambier said members of the Borderline Dance Team weren't asked to leave.
"We will be in continued communication with the captains of the dance teams that were slated to perform Saturday," she wrote. "To clarify, as this was not a competition, no one was disqualified and no one was asked to leave. While we are mending our relationships directly with the dance teams we will be disabling comments on this post. We will be sharing more information later this week, to hopefully clear up any misunderstandings."
Stamp disagreed and told Rantz she didn't think there was miscommunication.
"It's pretty clear to me, there's always room for error in any situation, but I don't believe so," she said.
"I would just love to see more conversations opened about people accepting one another," she added. "About being wholly inclusive. You know, every group of person talks about being inclusive and accepting. And I think that we need to work on being inclusive and accepting of people outside of our immediate comfort zones. I would love to see that."
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Kendall Tietz is a Production Assistant with Fox News Digital.
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What a bunch of pussies...........FFS grow the hell up. Not everything or everyone is out to get you..............
When do we lift this woke curse from the nation?
Hopefully it will be in November.
When these clown grow up.
Don't you need to define "woke" first? Other than "woke is anything I don't like", which is the DeSantis definition.
I think our readers understand "woke."
We got it Vic.
If you don't know, just use what they taught you in college.
Prove it!
I think your readers, each have a different definition of "woke" which is why the right wing has been unable to define its meaning.
People who feel triggered and unsafe at the sight of the American Flag should stay away from public places where they might encounter it. I am sure that there were many people whose spirits were lifted up by the sight of the flag and felt very safe.
Some people just want to be victims
Sounds like a lot of people are triggered. There are no safe spaces, so perhaps the dance troupe should have just told the folks in Seattle to fuck themselves and gone about their business instead of going on a conservative populist podcast to show how triggered they were? But outrage gets those clicks...
Maybe the intolerant triggered snowflakes should have just got up and walked out.
Then they can't play victim.
Which group was more intolerant and/or more triggered than the other?
There is no evidence that the dancers were triggered for being discriminated against, apparently for being White and patriotic.
Disappointed perhaps
The dance troupe co-captain went on a podcast to let everyone know how horrible those mean anti-American Seattle liberals were. Sounds triggered to me.
And they expect normal people to apologize and do something about their perceived victimhood.
That would be anywhere within the US. Let us get them out of here to a place more amenable to their sensibilities.
They don't like being proud Americans? Leave and don't let the door kick you in the azz.
I don't see them leaving on their own.
Meh, what do you expect? It’s Seattle.
A once great city descended into a triggered chaos ….
This nonsense should swing at least 1/2 a dead vote from deader red to deadest red.