Jonathan Romero, a second-year cheerleader for the San Fransisco 49ers, is excited to represent gay cheerleaders at the Super Bowl this weekend.
He started cheering for the 49ers last year, and is the first male cheerleader in 49ers history. Romero himself never even thought he’d get the spot, as he told Outsports that he “was using it to get more audition experience under (his) belt” and that “If you told (him) this two years ago, (he) would have said you’d be lying.”
Before joining the 49ers cheer squad, Gold Rush, he was a high school cheer and dance coach. He found his calling when be began training at a dance studio and views cheer as an important part of his self-expression as a gay man saying that “dance has always been (his) liberation, (his) happy place.”
Romero may be the only openly gay cheerleader at the Super Bowl this year, but not the first. That honor goes to two cheerleaders on the Los Angeles Rams squad, Quinton Peron, and Napoleon Jinnies, who appeared at the 2019 Super Bowl. They also made an appearance at the 2022 Super Bowl, alongside three more openly gay cheerleaders: Jose Capetillo, Eswinn Diaz, and Brendan Ryan. Capetillo and Ryan were co-captains of the Rams this year, and both wished Romero luck. Ryan wrote on his Instagram in all caps, “Can’t wait to watch this superstar singlehandedly represent the boyz at Super Bowl LVIII!!”
Openly gay cheerleaders are becoming popular within the NFL, as more and more male cheerleaders join NFL cheer squads every year. According to Romero, the NFL’s male cheerleaders share a bond. He says that, “This is the end goal for a lot of people, being able to be in a community with other male cheerleaders.”
Despite the rise in gay male cheerleaders, the number of openly gay NFL players remains small, with Carl Nassib becoming the first openly gay player in 2021. Here’s to these out gay NFL members breaking down barriers and an increase in the number of queer people in sports as they become more accepting.
