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Justine Lindsay, the NFL’s first transgender cheerleader to appear on the Carolina Panthers’ squad, spoke about her reason for leaving the organization.
Lindsay claimed it had something to do with being transgender. Lindsay left the team in August after being with the Carolina TopCats since 2022.
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Justine Lindsay of the Carolina Panthers TopCats performs before the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints take the field at Bank of America Stadium on September 25, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
“I got cut because I’m trans. I don’t want to hear anybody say, ‘She didn’t want to come back.’ Why the hell wouldn’t I come back to an organization that I’ve been a part of for three years,” Lindsay told Gaye Magazine in a live stream last week.
Lindsay made it clear there was no ill will against the Panthers, but said the team wasn’t looking at the bigger picture.
“I love them down. I appreciate everything they’ve done for me, but I feel like I’ve been wronged,” the former cheerleader said.
Justine Lindsay speaks on stage at a Night of Pride with GLAAD and the NFL on February 8, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for GLAAD)
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“It was like a huge slap in the face for not only me, but for the young people,” Lindsay said. “And that was right after Trump became president.”
Pakinomist Digital reached out to the Panthers for comment
President Donald Trump signed an executive order during the first month of his second term. The executive order prohibits schools and colleges that receive federal funds and are subject to Title IX from allowing men onto women’s sports teams and into women’s locker rooms and restrooms.
If educational institutions and their athletic associations do not comply, they may face investigations and loss of federal funds.
Justine Lindsay, Carolina TopCats performer, walks the red carpet during a Night of Pride With GLAAD on February 8, 2023 in Phoenix. (Michael Chow/The Republic/USA TODAY NETWORK)
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Several organizations changed their policies to comply with the president’s order, including the NCAA.
