WASHINGTON — Two former Washington Redskins cheerleaders have defended the organization after a report that women on the squad were required to appear topless during a 2013 calendar shoot in Costa Rica and forced to escort wealthy sponsors to a nightclub.
“The topless being forced? Just simply not true,” said Charo Bishop, a former Redskins cheerleader team captain, who was present during the trip to Costa Rica.
Bishop and another former team captain Rachel Gill appeared on NBC’s “Today” show. Hosts noted the women were asked by the Redskins to speak on behalf of the team.
Gill said the women were not parading around bare-breasted. At times, some cheerleaders would not have a top on as they prepared to pose for a photographer.
“This was a calendar photo shoot,” said Gill, who said the team’s calendar was never prurient. “We’re always covered, even if there is a topless photo.”
“Some girls were excited to be doing those things,” said Bishop.
In The New York Times article, several cheerleaders anonymously said they were required to be topless during the photo session.
“We always have the option to say no,” said Gill. “We are never forced, or told to do something we don’t want to do.”
According to the Times article, later in the evening, nine cheerleaders on the 36-member squad were told to accompany male sponsors to a nightclub for the evening. Their participation did not include sex, the cheerleaders said.
One of the cheerleaders said she felt the team was “pimping out” the women.
Gill bristled.
“Those terms ‘pimped out’ and ‘escort,’ they just need to stop, because it’s absolutely not what happened,” Gill said.
Bishop, who was present, didn’t feel the women were being asked to be escorts.
“I think that being friendly and receptive and welcoming to sponsors is completely different than being an escort,” she said.
Gill and Bishop took pains to respect the feelings of the women who spoke to the newspaper, and acknowledged they may have felt participation was mandatory.
“I can’t speak to how they feel. We know nothing was ever forced upon us, and we never felt that way, Rachel and I,” said Bishop.
Bishop said the women were not expected to be alone with the FedEx Field suite owners and team sponsors.
“The women were not selected by the sponsors to escort them to the club. We were always with someone we knew. We were always together,” Bishop said.
Gill said the article painted a very different picture than her reality.
“I hate that this negative light has been portrayed on our organization for something I was passionate about,” said Gill. “So many women felt this was the best years of their lives — my experience was never anything that was portrayed in this article.”
