The reason why Justine Lindsay made NFL history also allegedly resulted in her being fired by the Carolina Panthers organization, the former cheerleader claims.
Lindsay, the league’s first transgender cheerleader, who performed for three years as a member of the Carolina TopCats, said that she believes she was fired because she is trans.
Lindsay made the claim during a livestream on Instagram with Gaye Magazine last week.
“I was cut because I’m trans. I don’t wanna hear nobody saying ‘She didn’t wanna come back.’ Why the hell would I not wanna come back to an organization that I’ve been a part of for three years,” Lindsay said. “I was devastated. It stung. I was hurt.”
The Carolina Panthers have yet to comment on the claims.
While she does feel that she has been “done wrong,” Lindsay said that she appreciated everything the organization had done for her during her time there.
“I love them down. I appreciate everything that they’ve done for me, but I feel like I was done wrong,” said Lindsay.
“It was like a big slap in the face to not only me but for the youth,” she added. “And this was right after (Donald) Trump became president.”
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Lindsay said she was taking the dismissal in stride and using her platform to help youth.
“Being in the NFL was a stepping stone to get me where I need to be. My focus is to educate and uplift the younger generation of leaders to focus on their dreams and goals,” she said. “Don’t let a president who is delusional stop them from reaching their goals whether they are trans, African American, not American.”
When Lindsay was hired in 2022, the NFL celebrated the bold move.
“Being out on the field on Sundays representing this organization is more than me just being a cheerleader. It’s being a face of the possible. I never thought I would have this much courage to do this,” Lindsay said in an interview with NFL.com in 2022. “I have had so many parents of young kids in the trans community say thank you for what I’m doing and that their son or daughter is watching me. They are so pleased to see that I’m tearing down that wall.”