The incident occurred at the Emerald City Hoedown, a dance event organized by the Rain Country Dance Association, an LGBTQ+ dance community. The dance team's attire was reportedly perceived as a threat by a small group of attendees, leading to their expulsion from the event.
The Borderline Dance Team expressed their disappointment on Facebook, stating, "Our team was met with upon arrival was that our flag tops were offensive to some of the convention goers. There was a small group that felt ‘triggered and unsafe.'" The team's co-captain, Lindsay Stamp, in an interview with Jason Rantz for The Jason Rantz Show, revealed that their costumes had elicited complaints related to Israel’s war against Hamas and transgender issues.
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The dance team was given an ultimatum to either remove their flag-themed tops and perform in street clothes or shirts provided by the event organizers, or not perform at all. "As we knew would happen because there really was no choice in our minds, it was a unanimous NO," the team stated on Facebook.
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Stamp expressed her surprise at the swift backlash, stating that the team had only spent 30 minutes at the venue before they started receiving complaints. She emphasized that the team is patriotic and does not make political statements. "We’re a patriotic group. We support our military, our veterans, our first responders. We’re a group of patriots," she said.
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April 12, 2024
The Borderline Dance Team was not the only group to face this treatment. West Coast Country Heat, another dance team scheduled to perform at the convention, also chose not to perform due to similar reasons. Both teams stood in solidarity, with the Borderline Dance Team stating that watching the two teams band together was "the greatest performance."
The Rain Country Dance Association did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment but indirectly addressed the incident on Facebook. Ziadee Cambier, the board president, stated that members of the Borderline Dance Team weren’t asked to leave. She promised continued communication with the captains of the dance teams and clarified that no one was disqualified or asked to leave.
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Stamp disagreed with Cambier's statement, stating that she didn't believe there was a miscommunication. She expressed her desire for more open conversations about acceptance and inclusivity. "I would just love to see more conversations opened about people accepting one another," she said. "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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This incident highlights the ongoing debate about freedom of expression and inclusivity, particularly in spaces that aim to promote diversity and acceptance. It raises questions about the extent to which personal beliefs and expressions can be accommodated in public spaces, and how to navigate the fine line between freedom of expression and causing offense.
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