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RandySF

(57,581 posts)
Mon Jun 6, 2022, 11:42 PM Jun 2022

Carolina Panthers hire NFL's first transgender cheerleader

When the 2022 NFL season officially starts in September, the professional football league will welcome its first transgender cheerleader.

In a recent Instagram post, Justine Lindsay, a 29-year-old Black trans woman, announced she would be joining the Carolina Panthers’ cheerleading squad, the TopCats. The news was first reported on by BuzzFeed over the weekend.

“Cats Out the Bag you are looking at the newest member of the Carolina Panthers TopCats … the first Transgender female,” Lindsay wrote in an Instagram post on March 30. “This is a moment I will never forget and I cannot wait to show you all what this girl has to bring.”

In a post on Monday, however, Lindsay revealed that she has been subjected to transphobic harassment since her barrier-breaking announcement.

“Thank you to all my haters who think I’m bringing the organization down, clearly I don’t. The carolina panthers Organization is an excellent one, one that supports all people,” she wrote.

She added that she hopes to pave “the way for those under me who are scared and afraid to take that step because it is not easy to do when you have ignorant people making comments.”



https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/carolina-panthers-hire-nfls-first-transgender-cheerleader-rcna32167?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma

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Carolina Panthers hire NFL's first transgender cheerleader (Original Post) RandySF Jun 2022 OP
That's some progress, eh? NCLefty Jun 2022 #1
I don't see cheerleading as progress Skittles Jun 2022 #6
Cheerleaders are athletes too. nolabear Jun 2022 #17
they should be playing their own sports Skittles Jun 2022 #19
Why? nolabear Jun 2022 #20
LOL Skittles Jun 2022 #21
I'm sorry you don't want to talk about it. nolabear Jun 2022 #22
Way to go, Justine! MLAA Jun 2022 #2
Good for her..better yet.. heads are gonna explode! Deuxcents Jun 2022 #3
I truly don't understand this country sometimes. Bleacher Creature Jun 2022 #4
Classic loudest voices are normally heard the most often vercetti2021 Jun 2022 #8
Social media and cable news give haters an oversized megaphone. RandySF Jun 2022 #11
NC is bright purple. Literally 50/50 Urban-Rural JanMichael Jun 2022 #14
Absolutely! I lived there for years and Mr Bear was born and raised there. nolabear Jun 2022 #18
Waiting for DeathSantis to ban the Panthers from playing football in Florida. Norbert Jun 2022 #5
Cue up the outrage about "people born as men" taking cheerleading spots from women... IngridsLittleAngel Jun 2022 #7
People need to mind their fucking business vercetti2021 Jun 2022 #9
Ohhh, I'm fully expecting it to be coming any day now... IngridsLittleAngel Jun 2022 #10
Well I hate them vercetti2021 Jun 2022 #12
It's getting harder and harder not to IngridsLittleAngel Jun 2022 #13
Cue conservatives burning their Panthers gear in 3... 2... 1... Initech Jun 2022 #15
...that we know of... Wounded Bear Jun 2022 #16

nolabear

(41,915 posts)
17. Cheerleaders are athletes too.
Tue Jun 7, 2022, 11:31 AM
Jun 2022

Lots of them are/were gymnasts or dancers. Honestly, it’s easy to look down in them as fluffy and brainless but it’s not necessarily true.

(I’m not particularly interested in them nor pissed at you but I do think they’re legit)

nolabear

(41,915 posts)
22. I'm sorry you don't want to talk about it.
Tue Jun 7, 2022, 06:53 PM
Jun 2022

And I hate the contempt for me in your reply. I’m not a cheerleading fan myself, but we could have had a conversation.

Bleacher Creature

(11,235 posts)
4. I truly don't understand this country sometimes.
Tue Jun 7, 2022, 12:06 AM
Jun 2022

99% of the time it feels like we're being overrun by hateful, regressive politicians everywhere we look, but then you see examples of regular people making progress like this, even in a reddish state like NC, and you can't help but smile.

This kind of story gives me hope for the future. I just wish we could stop allowing a small minority of predominantly older, straight, white men (which technically includes me) from holding the rest of the country hostage.

vercetti2021

(10,150 posts)
8. Classic loudest voices are normally heard the most often
Tue Jun 7, 2022, 03:32 AM
Jun 2022

The majority supports our rights, but the true evil and most disgusting voices of hate get heard the most because they are the loudest.

JanMichael

(24,846 posts)
14. NC is bright purple. Literally 50/50 Urban-Rural
Tue Jun 7, 2022, 06:29 AM
Jun 2022

Actually about 60% Urban and 40% rule which is a flip flop from 40 to 50 years ago.

Many urban areas are damn near as liberal left as West Coast urban areas. The rural areas are damn near 1930s Germany. And while there is slightly more urban population the way the legislature has gerrymandered the state for last 20 years. Along to the number of counties that are closer to 100% voting one way or the other. The urban areas can be 60% to 70% blue all the rural areas are closer to 70 to 90% red.

Kind of like the electoral college in America.

nolabear

(41,915 posts)
18. Absolutely! I lived there for years and Mr Bear was born and raised there.
Tue Jun 7, 2022, 11:41 AM
Jun 2022

It’s as split as it gets. We were in Durham at Duke and the whole area (Research Triangle) between Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill is full of educated, liberal, nerdy folks who actually like it there. There are some great traditionally Black colleges, the coasts have a huge influx from the Northeast, and Asheville in the mountains is a liberal oasis.

I suspect I’m preaching to the choir but I love the place.

 

IngridsLittleAngel

(1,962 posts)
7. Cue up the outrage about "people born as men" taking cheerleading spots from women...
Tue Jun 7, 2022, 03:20 AM
Jun 2022

3... 2... 1...

Along with that: Ohio is already working on a bill to inspect genitals of cheerleaders. Rot DeSatan is issuing a "Don't say Justine Lindsay" executive order, along with banning the Panthers from playing in Florida. Abbutt is calling for her parents to be investigated for child abuse. And Bang Bang Boebert and Empty Greene are making that stupid open-mouthed face and using their speech to text app to post crazy shit on Twitter.

But congrats to Justine (well, as much as I can congratulate anyone for making a cheerleading squad.. We know that can be toxic). And kudos to the Panthers for having an open mind and being progressive - well, at least when it comes to trans women and the cheerleading squad.

We do know this is going to lead to the Panthers becoming the most hated team in the NFL - even moreso than Washington or Dallas. And I do fear QAnnoy putting the poor lady through hell for this.

Well done, Panthers. And the best to all of you, Justine.

vercetti2021

(10,150 posts)
9. People need to mind their fucking business
Tue Jun 7, 2022, 03:36 AM
Jun 2022

I can call it now. OMG WHAT ABOUT THE WOMENZ WHO WERE BORN WOMENZ THEIR JOBS ARE IN JEOPARDY!!! I expect to see this. But there are male cheerleaders. It's not fucking exclusive to one gender. So they have no ground to stand on with this one. They can't use women's sports as a scapegoat this time.

 

IngridsLittleAngel

(1,962 posts)
10. Ohhh, I'm fully expecting it to be coming any day now...
Tue Jun 7, 2022, 03:39 AM
Jun 2022

After all, it's a lot easier for some people here to direct their outrage at trans athletes than the QOP pedos in Ohio for the genital inspection bill.

But that's because we know the truth. They don't care about women's sports either. They just hate us.

 

IngridsLittleAngel

(1,962 posts)
13. It's getting harder and harder not to
Tue Jun 7, 2022, 05:53 AM
Jun 2022

I'm sorry world, but I don't know how anyone can expect us to be dehumanized and discriminated against, while expecting us to throw roses and candy to them in response.

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