Texas College Dance Team Faces Backlash For Upcoming Trump Inauguration Performance

SAN MARCOS, TX — The Texas State University precision dance team scheduled to perform at the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump are feeling the full fury of social media for agreeing to participate in the event.

Members of the dance team categorized their participation in the upcoming Jan. 20 presidential inauguration as a "once in a lifetime opportunity," posting news of their invitation on their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts this past Wednesday.

But Trump's detractors point to his past comments on women — including actress Rosie O'Donnell and Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly — as evidence of a misogynistic bent that is at odds with their participation at the inaugural celebration.

Objecting to Kelly's aggressive questioning during a televised presidential debate, Trump inferred Kelly was on her menstrual cycle at the time in explaining her tough interrogation.

Trump has had a long-running feud with television personality O'Donnell, categorizing her at various times as a "fat pig," and a "loser." Once, Trump even brought in O'Donnell's partner into the feud, expressing how saddened her parents must be at the prospect of having the celebrity in the family circle.

At one point, Trump even went after national treasure Cher, calling her "average" artistically and out of touch with reality to boot.

More generally, Trump told television host Chris Matthews during his presidential campaign that women who undergo abortions should be punished as a result.

More recently, on Wednesday, Trump's transition team asked the State Department for details on programs aimed at benefiting women globally, including identifying staff members who worked to reduce gender-based violence and promote women in the workplace. Many of these issues were championed by Trump's rival in the presidential race, Hillary Clinton, raising fears he may be seeking to roll back those initiatives, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Given those an other comments Trump has directed at women, many on social media are forcefully criticizing the all-women Texas dance team's accepting his invitation to perform at his inauguration.

"It's sickening and un-American to support 'its' inauguration in any way, shape or form," one critic wrote. "It's hilarious that the Texas State Strutters think this Trump performance is some accomplishment," another person tweeted. "D.C. schools aren't even playing."

The backlash has been so great, that the dance team has taken to block many Twitters users from posting on their account. The onslaught of criticism later prompted the dancers to delete their page entirely, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

The Strutters' performance is scheduled during the inauguration, but they suggested they might perform at other related events marking the occasion, including, possibly, during a parade that will follow the president-elect and his vice president Mike Pence down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House.

Participants in the inauguration are selected by the Presidential Inaugural Committee from submitted requests gathered by the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, according to its website.

The local dance team isn't the only troupe performing. The Radio City Rockettes are scheduled to strut their own stuff too, a decision not sitting well with some of the dancers. In an Instagram post, Rockette Phoebe Pear said she was "embarrassed" at the prospect of participating at the upcoming event.

Reached by Patch on Friday, university spokesman Matthew Flores noted the Strutters' participation was set well before the general election.

"One thing important to note about the Strutters performance in the parade is that the process for being a participant in the event began in March, long before the general election," Flores said.

Texas State University is located in San Marcos, about 50 mile north of San Antonio.

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