Justine Lindsay says she was ‘cut’ from NFL cheerleading team because she is trans
"I made history – it was something I never even thought I was going to do,” says Lindsay
By Aaron Sugg
Attitude 101 changemaker, Justine Lindsay, the NFL’s first openly trans cheerleader, says she was “cut” from the Carolina TopCats because she is transgender.
She joined the TopCats in 2022 and simultaneously came out publicly as trans in her announcement post. She was officially cut from the cheer team in August 2025.
In an Instagram Live interview with Gaye Magazine, Lindsay said: “I was cut because I’m trans,” adding that she would love to return.
“It was something I never even thought I was going to do” – Justine Lindsay on making history as the first openly trans NFL cheerleader
“I made history – it was something I never even thought I was going to do,” she said. “It meant the world to me.”
The NFL now has no openly trans cheerleaders, leaving Lindsay devastated and hurt, though she remains grateful for her time on the team.
“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 organisation that I’ve been a part of for three years?”
“I appreciate everything that they’ve done for me” – Lindsay on her former team, the Carolina TopCats
She added: “Not throwing shade at the organisation. I love them down. I appreciate everything that they’ve done for me.”
In an interview with Gaye Magazine, Lindsay also blamed her removal on Donald Trump, after he signed an anti-trans bill in February banning transgender women from female sports on his first day back in office.
In her original announcement post on Instagram in 2022, she shared a photo of herself on the field, captioned: “Cat’s out the bag – you are looking at the newest member of the Carolina Panthers TopCats Cheerleaders TopCats as the first transgender female.”
“I was able to break down that door” – Lindsay on making history as a trans cheerleader
Speaking previously to BuzzFeed, she shared her overwhelming sense of joy at being able to represent the trans community on such a scale: “I’m happy because I was able to break down that door and tell people, ‘Hey, we are not just sexual beings.’”
She added: “‘We are actual human beings who want to better ourselves.’ I felt like, why not tell the world: ‘Hey, listen, this is a great accomplishment.’”
The LGBTQ+ NFL cheer community continues to face criticism. This year, Minnesota Vikings male cheerleaders Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn were subjected to homophobic abuse online.
Despite the hate, the pair have stayed proud. In response, Shiek and Conn shared a collaborative post on Instagram in their Vikings Cheerleaders uniforms with the caption: “Wait… did someone say our name?”