The NFL’s first openly transgender cheerleader is hanging up her pom-poms for good and the entire league is stunned. It’s been almost three years since Justine Lindsay announced she would be joining the Carolina Panthers’ cheerleading squad, making history of her own. Now, she’s walking away from it all.
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The announcement came just days before the Panthers are set to play their first game of the season. Although the team’s TopCats cheerleading squad hasn’t released a statement following Lindsay’s departure, she’s letting her fans know the exact reason for the big change.
“Being in the NFL was a stepping stone to get me where I need to be, and God is blessing me each and every day,” Lindsay said in a statement obtained by the Daily Mail. But now, the North Carolina native said she’s ready to give back to her community and invest in her future.
“For now, I’m focusing on my pageantry work and community involvement, striving to be recognized not just as an NFL cheerleader, but as someone making a positive impact, especially during these uncertain times,” the 32-year-old continued. “My focus is to educate and uplift the younger generation of leaders to focus on their dreams and goals.”
With that, Lindsay also revealed she’s going back to school to become a sportscaster. “I’ll see you all next year on a football field, either conducting interviews or on the sidelines showing off my dance skills,” she told Outsports. Lindsay was also recently given the 2025 Ms. Charlotte Black Pride Lady Winner.
She also had a message for President Donald Trump, who has continuously incited attacks to the LGBTQ+ community. “Don’t let a president who is delusional stop them from reaching their goals whether they are trans, African American, not American, etc.,” Lindsay added.
The former cheerleader is no stranger to controversy, which has often been rooted in racism and transphobia when directed toward her. In fact, her entire career has been molded by her response to critics. On Instagram, Lindsay has offered her followers advice on how to deal with haters and naysayers.
“This is big,” Lindsay told Buzzfeed News when she first joined the TopCats in 2022. “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.”
Interestingly enough, just as Lindsay has announced her plans to leave the league, the Minnesota Vikings just welcomed two male cheerleaders to their team, which has caused quite the uproar from football fans declaring the practice is becoming too “woke.”
“The next generation of cheer has arrived,” the team wrote on Instagram (Aug. 9).
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