THEY WANT ONE SET OF FAIR AND EQUAL RULES FOR ALL CERLEADERS
JUST LIKE FOOTBALL PLAYERS GET.
>> JOINING US ARE TWO FORMER
TEAM CAPTAINS OF THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS CHEERLEADERS.ASHINGTON
REDSKINS CHEERLEADERS. THE REDSKINS ASKED YOU TO SPEAK
OUT ON THE TEAMS BEHALF.
ITS NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
WHEN YOU READ THE ARTICLE ABOUT A TRIP YOU WERE ON WITH REDSKINS
CHEERLEADERS DID THAT SOUND LIKE
THE TRIP YOU HAD GONE ON FORCED
TO POSE TOPLESS AND HAVING TO
ESCORT BIGWIG SPONSORS AND SUCH
TO THE BAR?
>> NOT AT ALL. >> WE CANT DISCOUNT THE
EXPERIENCES THAT OTHER WOMEN HAD
ON THE TEAM.
WE CAN BRING TO LIGHT THE FACTS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THE FACTS
OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES. >> WE EACH HAD OUR OWN
EXPERIENCES.
EXPERIENCES.
>> THE TOPLESS BEING FORCED SIMPLY NOT TRUE.EING FORCED
SIMPLY NOT TRUE. EVERYTHING IS OPTIONAL.
SOME GIRLS WERE EXCITED TO DO
THOSE THINGS.
THOSE THINGS.
IN TERMS OF BEING AN ESCORT,
THAT WAS NEVER A PERCEPTION THAT I HAD.AS NEVER A PERCEPTION THAT
I HAD. I THINK THAT BEING WELLDOM TO
SPONSORS IS DIFFERENT.
>> LETS TALK ABOUT THE TOPLESS
SITUATION.
SITUATION.
CAN I ASK A GENERAL QUESTION? WHY WAS THERE TOPLESSUESTION?
WHY WAS THERE TOPLESS PHOTOGRAPHY WITH PEOPLE AROUND?
WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THAT?
WAS IT FOR A CALENDAR?
>> THIS IS A CALENDAR PHOTO
SHOOT.
SHOOT.
THE PERCEPTION OF TOPLESS IS
DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IS USED IN
OUR CALENDARS.
WE ARE ALWAYS COVERED EVEN IF
THERE IS A TOPLESS PHOTO. LIKE WE SAID, WE ALWAYS HAVE THE
OPTION TO SAY NO.
WE ARE NEVER FORCED OR TOLD TO
DO SOMETHING WE DONT WANT TO
DO.
DO.
>> DO YOU THINK IT IS POSSIBLE
BECAUSE YOU DONT WANT TO
DISCOUNT THE WOMEN EXPERIENCES
THOSE WHO SPOKE TO THE "NEW YORK TIMES."HO SPOKE TO THE "NEW YORK
TIMES."
IS IT POSSIBLE SOMEONE MIGHT HAVE FELT -- EVEN IF SOMEONE
SAID IT IS YOUR CHOICE.
YOU KNOW HOW LIKE I DONT KNOW
IF IT IS REALLY MY CHOICE.
IS IT POSSIBLE THEY FELT LIKE
THEY WERE FORCED INTO IT?
>> I CANT SPEAK TO IT.
>> WE KNOW THE FACTS AND THE
CIRCUMSTANCES WAS THAT NOTHING
WAS FORCED UPON US.
>> EITHER OF YOU GUYS AT THAT
SPONSOR EVENT WHERE THEY SAID
THEY FELT LIKE -- I THINK THE
GIRLS DESCRIBED IT AS THEY WERE
KIND OF PIMPED OUT.
>> THOSE TERMS PIMPED OUT,
ESCORT THEY NEED TO STOP.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT WHAT
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED.
>> I WAS THERE. I DID NOT FEEL THAT WAY.
FOR ME IT WAS A RELAXING NIGHT
WITH MY FRIENDS.
AND TO PUT IT INTO CONTEXT THE
WOMEN ARE NOT SELECTED BY THE
SPONSORS TO ESCORT THEM TO THE
CLUB.
CLUB.
WE ARE ALWAYS WITH SOMEONE WE
KNEW.
WE WERE ALWAYS TOGETHER.
THE TWO REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE REDSKINS, I HAVE GREATS FROM THE
REDSKINS, I HAVE GREAT
RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM AND I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THEM THERE.I
WAS HAPPY TO SEE THEM THERE. SAFETY FIRST AND I NEVER FELT
PRESSURED.
PRESSURED.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT OUR DIRECTOR ASKED US TO DO -- NOT
ASKED US.
ASKED US.
SHE WANTED TO KNOW IF WE WANTED
TO ENJOY A NIGHT WITH OUR
FRIENDS.
WE WERE VETERANS ON THE TEAM. WE DID ANOTHER ZIP LINING TRIP,
AS WELL.
AS WELL.
IT IS SOMETHING TO DO TOGETHER. >> WE JUST SAW ON THE PIECE NOT
A LARGER QUESTION ABOUT THE
CULTURE OF NFL CHEER LEADING AND
WHETHER THEY ARE TREATED WITH
RESPECT THAT FOOTBALL PLAYERS
GET, WHETHER THEY ARE SUBJECT TO
IN SOME CASES KIND OF STRICT
RULES THAT SEEM OUTSIDE THE
BOUNDS OF WHAT SOMEONE MIGHT BE
PUT UP TO.
DID YOU GUYS SEE ANY OF THAT?
DO YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH
THE CULTURE IN GENERAL?
>> THE CULTURE BEHIND OUR
ENVIRONMENT AS CHEERLEADERS IS
SUCH AN EMPOWERING AND
SISTERHOOD.
SISTERHOOD.
IT IS A BOND. FROM DAY ONE WHEN WE MAKE THE
TEAM IT IS -- WE ARE ALREADY
LIKE AS A -- KIND OF HELP ME OUT
HERE.
HERE.
>> TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION I DO AGREE.ANSWER THIS QUESTION I DO
AGREE.
THE NFL IS TOTALLY MALE DOMINATED. TOTALLY MALE
DOMINATED.
NOT TO SAY THEY ARE NOT FEMALE
EMPLOYEES AND FEMALE FANS
BECAUSE I WAS ONE OF BOTH AND AM
ONE OF BOTH, THE FACT THAT THE ARTICLE PAINTED SUCH A HARSHHE
ARTICLE PAINTED SUCH A HARSH LIGHT AND THE FACT THAT
STEPHANIE, THE DIRECTOR OF THE
CHEERLEADERS, A GROUP OF WOMEN
LED BY ONE WOMAN WOULD SUGGEST
THAT IT WAS HER RESPONSIBILITY
TO TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THIS IS
PRETTY --
PRETTY -- >> ONE FINAL QUESTION BECAUSE
THIS STRUCK ME AS OUTRAGEOUS AND
BOTHERED ME.
BOTHERED ME. I READ THAT AN AVERAGE
CHEERLEADER MAKES $150 PER GAME.
THATS ON THE HIGH END.
THE LOW END IS $75 PER HOME
GAME.
GAME.
ARE WE IN THE BALLPARK AND IS
THAT RIDICULOUS TO YOU GUYS? >> A LOT OF STRIDES HAVE BEEN
MADE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS
ESPECIALLY FROM WHEN I STARTED
TO WHERE THEY ARE NOW.
ITS IMPROVEMENT TO GETTING PAID
BETTER, BEING TREATED LIKE --
>> IS THAT THE BALLPARK?
I DONT KNOW WHAT BEING PAID
WELL.
WELL.
>> WE ARE NOT ON THE TEAM ANYMORE.E NOT ON THE TEAM
ANYMORE.
>> IS THAT WHAT IT WAS?
CLOSE.
>> APPROXIMATELY.
>> I CAN SEE THAT IT UPSETS YOU. WHY? CAN SEE THAT IT UPSETS YOU.
WHY?
>> I HATE THAT THE NEGATIVE
LIGHT HAS BEEN PORTRAYED ON OUR ORGANIZATION FOR SOMETHING I WAS
SO PASSIONATE ABOUT AND SO MANY
WOMEN FELT THIS WAS THE BEST
YEARS OF THEIR LIVES.
MY EXPERIENCE WAS NEVER ANYTHING
THAT WAS PORTRAYED IN THIS
ARTICLE.
ARTICLE.
I LOVED IT AND I CANT THANK STEPHANIE ENOUGH FOR THEANK
STEPHANIE ENOUGH FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WERE
PRESENTED TO ME.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
HERE.
ITS NOT EASY TO COME OUT AND BE