A professional sports league that is not necessarily recognized for its progressiveness has just taken a major step in terms of inclusiveness: this fall, the Carolina Panthers will host the first cheerleader known trans from the history of the National Football League (NFL).
29-year-old African-American Justine Lindsay announced her selection to the TopCats while performing her coming out as a trans person on Instagram. “It’s a moment I will never forget and I can’t wait to show you everything this woman [elle-même] can bring, ”reads the publication, which dates from March.
In an interview with Buzzfeed last week, the athlete reveals that apart from his family, no one was aware of his trans identity. She says she said so on her application form to join the team, but TopCats manager Chandalae Lanouette told BuzzFeed it was the athlete’s remarkable talent that got her there. get a place there.
There is no register listing the cheerleaders in the history of NFL teams, but everything indicates that Lindsay is the first trans woman to carve out a place there. NFL cheerleaders generally fit fairly traditional beauty standards and are most often white and thin. In 2018, the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams had nevertheless marked the history of this sport by welcoming men into their teams of cheerleading.
“I will continue to be a trailblazer, I will continue to inspire my beautiful African American trans sisters until my last breath,” read an Instagram post Lindsay made on Monday in response to hateful comments.
It only takes a look on social networks to see that the young woman is indeed facing several transphobic reactions. “To all the negative people in the world, I pray to God that he continues to bless you and love you unconditionally,” replied the athlete on Instagram Monday. Several hateful comments indeed invoke religion to justify the disagreement of their author with the selection of the athlete. Others preferred to call the Carolina Panthers a “woke” organization.
Trans people face unabated violence in the United States. According to LGBTQ+ rights group Human Rights Campaign, at least 50 trans or non-binary people were killed in 2021, making it the deadliest year for this community since 2013.
