The name “Radical Cheerleaders” refers to loosely
organized groups of women and men who use creative cheers and costumes to
engage in political protest. This article explores the ways in which the
Radical Cheerleaders challenge gendered assumptions about women's
political activity. Through their aggressive presence on the streets,
their rejection of norms of civility, and their use of humor, the Radical
Cheerleaders (ab)use the traditionally gendered practice of cheering to
stage transgressive political spectacles that cannot easily be subsumed
into or appropriated by mainstream political discourse. The Radical
Cheerleaders' tactics, in other words, resist governmentality. In so
doing, they trouble our ideas about political deliberation and citizenship
and expand the boundaries of the contemporary public sphere.