Overview
- Justine Lindsay, the NFL’s first openly transgender cheerleader, said in an Instagram Live with Gaye Magazine that she was cut from the Carolina Panthers because she is trans.
- Lindsay performed with the Panthers’ TopCats from 2022 and left the team in August after three seasons.
- She described feeling devastated and hurt by the separation while expressing appreciation for the organization and her former teammates.
- Lindsay connected the timing to new policies enacted after President Trump took office in 2025, referencing an executive order influencing participation rules for transgender people.
- The Panthers have not publicly confirmed the reason for her departure and did not immediately respond to requests for comment.