Justine Lindsay, the NFL’s first out trans cheerleader, has revealed that she was fired this year from the Carolina Panthers because of the organization’s transphobia.

“I was cut because I’m trans,” Lindsay said in an Instagram Live with Gaye Magazine that is no longer available. “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? I was devastated. It stung. I was hurt.”

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Lindsay became the NFL’s first out trans female cheerleader back in 2022, when she announced that she had become a member of the Carolina Panthers’ TopCats cheerleaders.

After three successful seasons with the TopCats, Lindsay revealed this past August that she would not be returning for a fourth. In a statement to LGBTQ Nation sibling site OutSports, Lindsay did not discuss being forced out.

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“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,” she said. “My focus is to educate and uplift the younger generation of leaders to focus on their dreams and goals. Don’t let a president who is delusional stop them from reaching their goals, whether they are trans, African American, not American, etc.”

In August, she provided some more context in an interview with The Gay Times, suggesting that the decision was not based on her merits as a cheerleader. “People around me were like, ‘You were the best one out there,’” she said. “But, I didn’t make it to the final round. I didn’t always feel like I belonged […] So yeah, I was hurt. Everybody knew that I wanted to come back. I didn’t always feel like I got the backing I was supposed to.”

In her conversation with Gaye Magazine, Lindsay highlighted her love for the organization behind TopCats, but felt that the decision was short-sighted and likely tied to the results of the November 2024 election. “It was like a big slap in the face to not only me but for the youth,” she said. “And this was right after Trump became president.”

Lindsay has continued to make it clear that while she might be departing cheerleading on someone else’s terms, that’s not going to be the end of her story in the public eye. She is now developing a documentary and has started a campaign for trans pageant Miss International Queen for 2026.

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