NFL’s first trans cheerleader Justine Lindsay likens her role to being a doctor or nurse as she looks to change the narrative: ‘No one is going to stop this show’
- Justine Lindsay is in her second season as an NFL cheerleader with the Panthers
- The 31-year-old said she wants to change the narrative for the next generation
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Justine Lindsay, the NFL’s first transgender cheerleader, hopes to be a trailblazer for the next generation.
Lindsay, 31, is in her second season as an NFL cheerleader after joining the Carolina Panthers organization last year.
The North Carolina native announced her arrival to the league with an Instagram post in March 2022 and previously said she blacked out when she received a call from TopCats director Chandalae Lanouette.
More than a year later, Lindsay wants her role in the NFL to help the younger generation, likening the cheer profession to the life of a doctor or nurse.
“I want to change the narrative for my trans sisters and brothers, just to let them know that if you have a goal, go for it,” the cheerleader shared Elle magazine.
Justine Lindsay, the NFL’s first transgender cheerleader, hopes to be a trailblazer
‘Make that dream a reality. Be an NFL cheerleader, or a doctor, or a nurse, or whatever takes your fancy.”
Lindsay insisted that her cheerleading in the NFL was bigger than just her, hoping it would open doors for other members of the trans community.
“Everything I’m going through right now is bigger than me,” Lindsay told Elle magazine.
“I’m preparing things for the younger generation,” Lindsay added. “Nobody’s going to stop this show.”
North Carolina passed the Fairness in Women’s Sport Act in April, which would prevent biological female athletes from being forced to compete against biological male transgender athletes in school sports designated specifically for women.
Women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines welcomed the act, calling its death “fantastic news.”
But Lindsay stressed that the act has not stopped her from continuing her fight.
“I will fight this until I can’t fight anymore,” Lindsay told Elle. “It makes me sad to see it.”
In 2022, she embarked on becoming an NFL cheerleader for BuzzFeed News and emphasized that it was a great achievement.
Lindsay, 31, is in her second season as an NFL cheerleader after joining the Carolina Panthers
“I’m happy because I was able to break down that door and say to people, ‘Hey, we’re not just sexual beings. We’re real people who want to better ourselves.’ I was like, why don’t you tell the world, “Hey, listen, this is a great performance,” Lindsay said at the time.
While most Panthers fans welcomed Lindsay, her arrival in the NFL has sparked backlash from some.
However, the criticism was responded to on social media, praising the Panthers organization for its support.
“Thanks to all my haters who think I’m bringing the organization down, but that’s clearly not the case. The Carolina Panthers Organization is an excellent organization that supports all people white, black, yellow, trans, straight, etc. At the end of the day, myself and the other 29 members @topcats made the squad fair and square,” Lindsay wrote on Instagram.