Justine Lindsay becomes the first openly transgender cheerleader in the NFL

Justine Lindsay has made an NFL history by becoming the first openly transgender cheerleader in the league. While sharing the news through an Instagram post, Lindsay stated that she had made it to the cheerleading squad of the Carolina Panthers TopCats for the next season of the league.

Although there could have been transgender cheerleaders in the league's history, there is no record to verify that. However, 29-year-old Lindsay is undoubtedly the first cheerleader to have come out openly about it.

In a recent interview with BuzzFeed, Lindsay said she was "scared" while sharing the news on Instagram. However, contrary to her fear, several fans have come out to support her. The fans also asked her to ignore any message that questions her achievement and is hateful.


Talking about Lindsay, both the Panthers and the director of TopCats, Chandalae Lanouette, said that she earned her spot solely on the basis of her skills. Lanouette clarified that Lindsay had already disclosed that she was transgender in her application.

Lindsay said that she was aware of the fact that her securing a cheerleader spot in the league as a Black trans woman would surely make a big deal in the arena. She stated that she was excited about the opportunity and wanted to let people see the success of a Black transgender woman. Besides, she said that her achievement would inspire other transgender athletes to take up available opportunities. Lindsay added that she would continue to encourage other transgender people who are afraid to take steps.

Notably, TopCats have included two men in their 30-person cheerleading squad for this year's season.

The NFL 2022 season is scheduled to start in September.