The NFL’s California Panthers have just added their first transgender cheerleader to its roster.
Justine Simone Lindsay, who is a biological male, made the announcement this week via Instagram on May 30. The news was later confirmed by Panthers TopCats cheerleading director Chandalae Lanouette to BuzzFeed on June 4.
“You are looking at the newest member of the Carolina Panthers TopCats Cheerleader’s @topcats as the first Transgender female,” wrote Lindsay in his post from 9 weeks ago, captioning a photo from the field. “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,” the trans athlete added.
Lindsay captioned another post, “Dreams are reality/Dreams can manifest by putting in the work/Dreams can be accomplished with a focused mind body and spirit/This is my reality this is my story/Own it believe in it and everything will fall into place.”
According to Lanouette, she and the Panthers cheerleading team was aware that Lindsay was transgender. As this was made known by the cheerleading application.
The BuzzFeed report highlighted that Lanouette chose Lindsay based on “talent,” and not the squad’s “history-making.”
“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,” Lanouette shared. “At the end of the day, you have to walk through the door first to get to that spot.”
Lindsey, however, sees this move for what it is; unprecedented.
“I’m happy because I was able to break down that door and tell people, ‘Hey, we are not just sexual beings,’ 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.’”
America is seeing more and more stories like this as it’s becoming increasingly the norm to include biological males on female sports teams. Though different, we have already witnessed firsthand as a society the ramifications these inclusions can be on the women who compete in what once were sports solely for female athletes.
The most prominent example of this is Lia Thomas, who is now facing backlash from his own teammates who have anonymously said the University of Pennsylvania silenced them over protesting the biological male athlete.
Another prominent example is Taylor Silverman – the female skateboarder who placed second to a biological man that identifies as a woman in the Red Bull Cornerstone Contest – who has called out the company for “bullying her into silence” over trans competitors.
The tide is shifting for these woke corporations. As it appears female athletes are (finally) beginning to speak out against trans athletes who are, in a way, ruining female sports for women entirely. Winning competitions and breaking records that biological women simply have no shot at.