{"id":293612,"date":"2025-11-18T23:23:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T23:23:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/293612\/"},"modified":"2025-11-18T23:23:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T23:23:08","slug":"nfl-cheerleader-justine-lindsay-says-she-was-fired-because-im-trans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/293612\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL cheerleader Justine Lindsay says she was fired ‘because I’m trans’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Justine Lindsay<\/a> says she was fired from the Carolina Panthers cheer squad because of her gender identity.<\/p>\n

Lindsay, who became the NFL’s first out trans cheerleader<\/a> when she joined the Carolina Panthers TopCats cheer team in 2022, had previously announced that she wouldn’t be returning to the team after three years there. Now, she’s opening up about what happened.<\/p>\n

“I was cut because I\u2019m trans,” Lindsay said Saturday in an Instagram Live with <\/a>Gaye Magazine<\/a>. “I don\u2019t wanna hear nobody saying ‘She didn\u2019t wanna come back.’ Why the hell would I not wanna come back to an organization that I\u2019ve been a part of for three years?”<\/p>\n

\u201cI was devastated. It stung. I was hurt,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Lindsay clarified that she’s “not throwing shade at the organization,” adding, “I love them down. I appreciate everything that they\u2019ve done for me, but I feel like I was done wrong.”<\/p>\n

Lindsay said she had a hard time letting down kids who said they were excited to see her next season, and that the team \u201cwasn\u2019t even looking at the bigger picture as far as who I was changing lives for.\u201d<\/p>\n

“It was like a big slap in the face to not only me but for the youth,” she said. “And this was right after Trump<\/a> became president.”<\/p>\n

Lindsay isn’t done. She’s working on a documentary, campaigning for trans pageant Miss International Queen 2026, and still has “a lot of great connections within the NFL.”<\/p>\n

While there are several out gay cheerleaders<\/a> in the NFL, there are no other out trans cheerleaders.<\/p>\n

In August, Lindsay confirmed to Outsports<\/a> that she wouldn’t be returning to the team.<\/p>\n

“For now, I\u2019m focusing on my pageantry work and community involvement, striving to be recognized not just as an NFL cheerleader, but as someone making a positive impact, especially during these uncertain times,” she said at the time.<\/p>\n

“Being in the NFL was a stepping stone to get me where I need to be, and God is blessing me each and every day, giving me the breath to do the work and change lives. My focus is to educate and uplift the younger generation of leaders to focus on their dreams and goals. Don’t let a president who is delusional stop them from reaching their goals, whether they are trans, African American, not American, etc.”<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Out: NFL cheerleader Justine Lindsay says she was fired ‘because I’m trans’<\/a><\/p>\n

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