(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) A regional country line-dancing team said it was kicked out of an competition in Seattle last week after organizers objected to the American flag shirts that members planned to wear for the performance.
Authorities at the Emerald City Hoedown disqualified the Borderline Dance Team after attendees complained of feeling “triggered and unsafe” by the shirts, according to the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.
The Rain Country Dance Association, a group founded to cater to LGBT people, invited the Borderline team, based out of western Washington state, to the competition.
Co-captain Lindsay Stamp said the performance troupe did not intend to make a divisive political statement with the pro-America shirts.
“My team doesn’t take a political stance. We came to dance,” Stamp explained.
“We’re a patriotic group,” she added. “We support our military, our veterans, our first responders. We’re a group of patriots.”
Stamp said that the dance association, while cordial, offered them an ultimatum to either dance in street clothes—not an option for many of their dancers, who went to the stadium in uniform—or leave the premises.
The team agreed they would not remove their shirts, instead opting to leave the stadium.
“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 group said in a follow-up Facebook post. “Both of our teams stood in solidarity and put actions to words.”
The Emerald City Hoedown did not directly address the situation, but hinted at it in a Facebook post of its own on Monday, after the story went viral.
“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 said.
“We appreciate y’all giving us the time to clear up misunderstandings and address the situation with people directly involved,” it added. “We will be posting a follow up statement later this week once we are able to have those conversations.”
Ziadee Cambier, president of the RCDA Board, said that officials did not ask the team to leave.
The team said they received a great deal of support from their community after going public, and they expressed hope that they could mend fences with the RCDA.
“I would just love to see more conversations opened about people accepting one another. About being wholly inclusive,” Stamp said.
“You know, every, group of person talks about being inclusive and accepting,” she added. “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.”
