Photo Courtesy Of Justine Lindsay/ Instagram
NFL’s first openly trans cheerleader Justine Lindsay said her new gig is “a dream come true.”
Lindsay opened up about the ground-breaking opportunity in an interview with BuzzFeed News. She’s reportedly set to kick off the 2022 NFL season as a member of the Carolina Panthers’ cheerleading squad, the TopCats.
“This is big,” she told the news outlet. “I think more people need to see this. It’s not because I want recognition. It’s just to shed light on what’s going on in the world.”
The 29-year-old initially announced the news via Instagram back in March with a photo of herself standing inside the Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina. In the post’s caption, she gushed about making NFL history and thanked the TopCats for their support.
“Cat’s Out the Bag[!] You are looking at the newest member of the Carolina Panthers TopCats Cheerleaders @topcats as the first Transgender female,” Lindsay wrote. “I would like to thank the beautiful and talented dancers who supported me along the way, alumni TopCats family and friends, for your love and support. I would not have gotten to this moment in my life if it wasn’t for the support.”
She added that she couldn’t wait to show off her cheering talents on the field.
“This is a moment I will never forget, and I cannot wait to show you all what this girl has to bring. Thank you, @topcats. A dream come true.”
Lindsay revealed to BuzzFeed that despite her excitement, she was actually scared to post her history-making accomplishment.
“I was so scared,” she said. “[There are] just some things you can’t post.”
However, regardless of her feelings, Lindsay expressed how happy she was to “break down that door” and let her followers know that as a trans person, she made a great achievement.
“I’m happy because I was able to break down that door and tell people, ‘Hey, we are not just sexual beings,'” she told BuzzFeed. “‘We are actual human beings who want to better ourselves.’ I felt like, Why not tell the world: ‘Hey, listen, this is a great accomplishment.'”
TopCats’ director Chandalae Lanouette said Lindsay wrote that she was trans on her application, but it was her abilities that landed her a spot on the squad.
“My goal is to create a team of individuals that are absolute fire on the field but are incredible human beings in the locker room, good friends, good people, and at the end of the day, you have to walk through the door first to get to that spot,” Lanouette said.
The new TopCats member is currently listed on their 2022 roster, which was recently posted on the Carolina Panther’s official website.