Texas has been wrestling for some time now with the contradiction of having sexy young cheerleaders being sexy and stuff in an official school capacity when the state attempts to punish teen girls who, you know, have teh sexxx. In an unfortunate turn of events in the far East Texas town of Silsbee, a cheerleader was raped by a football player from her school. The dude pled guilty to lesser charges, but admitted guilt, and was given a slap on the wrist. The cheerleader was advised by her school to "avoid the cafeteria" and "keep a low profile."
She refused, and refused to say her rapist's name during a cheer--and was kicked off the squad.
This isn't the first time Texas cheerleaders have got what was coming to them. In 2005 Texas Representative Al Edwards (D-Houston) proposed a bill, which passed the Texas House 65-56, which the Houston Chronicle described thusly:
The bill seeks to punish risque cheerleader routines allowing the Texas Education Agency to cut off state funds and ban performances by the offending group for the remainder of the school year.Why, you ask? From Mr. Edwards' mouth to God's ears:
"It's just too sexually oriented, you know, the way they're shaking their behinds and going on."If that's not "she was asking for it" I don't know what is. Just a reminder: rapists are responsible for rape. Even if a cheerleader is "shaking her behind and going on" at an officially sanctioned school event wearing the required uniform she is still not at fault for being raped.
Here, here.
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