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Justine Lindsay, the NFL’s first transgender cheerleader who performed on the Carolina Panthers’ squad, dished about the reason for departing the organization.
Lindsay claimed it had something to do with being transgender. Lindsay departed the team in August after being on the Carolina TopCats since 2022.
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Justine Lindsay, of the Carolina Panthers TopCats, performs before the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints take the field at Bank of America Stadium on Sept. 25, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
“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 told Gaye Magazine in a livestream last week.
Lindsay made clear there was no ill will toward the Panthers, but said the team wasn’t looking at the bigger picture.
“I love them down. I appreciate everything that they’ve done for me, but I feel like I was done wrong,” the former cheerleader said.
Justine Lindsay speaks onstage at a Night of Pride with GLAAD and NFL on Feb. 8, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for GLAAD)
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“It was like a big slap in the face to not only me but for the youth,” Lindsay said. “And this was right after Trump became president.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Panthers for comment
President Donald Trump signed an executive order during the first month of his second term. The 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 fail to comply, they could face investigations and a loss of federal funds.
Justine Lindsay, Carolina TopCats performer, walks on the red carpet during a Night of Pride With GLAAD on Feb. 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.
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