Justine Lindsay made history after being hired as a cheerleader for the Topcats, the Carolina Panthers team, becoming the first transgender cheerleader in the NFL.
Lindsay, 29, posted the news on her Instagram account on March 30, though it went unnoticed until this weekend when BuzzFeed News interviewed her. From Instagram:
Cats Out the Bag you are looking for the newest member of the Carolina Panthers TopCats Cheerleader @topcats as the first Transgender female l. I want to thank the beautiful and talented dancers who supported me along the way, the alumni of the family and friends of TopCats for your love and support. I would not have reached this moment in my life if it were not for the support. Also to my beautiful coach @chandalaelanouette you are a special being that I really appreciate thank you for taking that leap of faith in me to be part of your legacy and so many others. This is a moment I will never forget and I can’t wait to show you everything this girl has to offer. Thanks @topcats a dream come true.
Lindsay was hired for her talent, not as a way to break any barriers, said Chandalae Lanouette, the director of the Topcats, who added that Lindsay said she was trans on her application.
“My goal is to create a team of individuals who are the absolute focus on the field, but are incredible human beings in the locker room, good friends, good people, and at the end of the day, you have to go through the door first to get to that place,” Lanouette told BuzzFeed News.
Lindsay is proud to break barriers, she said, especially as a black trans woman. “This is great,” he said. “I think more people need to see this. It’s not because I want recognition. It’s just to shed light on what’s going on in the world.”
In a post Monday highlighting the BuzzFeed interview, Lindsay took aim at the people who criticized her:
Thanks to all my haters who think I’m running the organization, clearly I’m not. The Carolina panther organization is an excellent one, one that supports all people white, black, yellow, trans, straight, etc. at the end of the day himself and the other 29 @topcats members made the team fair and square. so what if they are ️⚧️ then what I paved the way for those below me who are afraid and afraid to take that step because it is not easy to do when you have ignorant people who make comments that have not passed. process like the rest of us. I will continue to be that pioneer who will continue to inspire and help my beautiful trans African American sisters until my last breath. So please mind your manners and understand that if you can’t say anything nice, keep it to yourself.
The barriers have come down in NFL cheerleading in recent years. The Los Angeles Rams hired the first openly gay male cheerleaders in 2018 and the team had five gay cheerleaders at this year’s Super Bowl. The Panthers hired two gay cheerleaders last year and other teams have also hired gay cheerleaders.
Kudos to the Panthers for making the move to hire Lindsay and to her for embracing her pioneering role.
You can follow Lindsay on Instagram.
Can an NFL cheerleader be married?
While the guidelines do not address fraternization to the extent of the rules published in the Raiderettes pretext handbook, Sea Gals are discouraged from fraternizing, dating, cohabiting, or marrying Seahawks players, coaches, management and also the mascot. Read also : Herschel Walker’s son Christian says he made a fool of his family during his Senate run.
Has any NFL player married a cheerleader? #2 – Alex Smith and Elizabeth Barry Made three Pro Bowl appearances during his career. Smith met Elizabeth Barry when he was still playing for the 49ers. She was a cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders at the time. The two got married in 2009 and have since had three children together.
Is being an NFL cheerleader a full-time job? NFL cheerleading is not a full-time job. Depending on the level of competition, some NFL cheerleaders may travel with the team for every game during the season, while others may only be required to attend one or two games per week.
Who is the lowest paid NFL player?
Rookies and players with two or fewer accumulated NFL seasons earn at least $9,200 per week. “Accrued” means when a player is in full-time pay status for a minimum of six regular season games. To see also : College Football Fans React to Ohio State Cheerleaders’ Wild Video – Game 7. That means these players make the equivalent of $165,600 for 18 weeks spent on the practice squad.
How are NFL players paid? Every NFL player who is on a team’s roster during the year will earn a base salary divided into 18 installments. That covers the 17-game schedule and the bye week that makes up the season. If a player is cut during the season, most of the money they expected to make is lost unless they have a guarantee.
How much does an NFL bench player make? How much are NFL practice squad players paid? Rookies and players with two or fewer accumulated NFL seasons earn at least $9,200 per week. “Accrued” means when a player is in full-time pay status for a minimum of six regular season games.
