Justine Lindsay, the first openly transgender NFL cheerleader, is now claiming she was cut from the Carolina Panthers not because of performance, but because she’s trans. Lindsay spent three seasons on the Carolina TopCats before departing in August. In a recent livestream with Gaye Magazine, she insisted the move had nothing to do with her wanting to leave.
"I was cut because I’m trans," Lindsay said. "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?" She was adamant that her departure was unfair.
Despite the accusations, Lindsay said she has no hatred toward the organization. "I love them down. I appreciate everything that they’ve done for me, but I feel like I was done wrong," she said. Lindsay argued the Panthers failed to consider what she represented.
The former cheerleader framed the issue as a setback for younger activists. "It was like a big slap in the face to not only me but for the youth," she added. She also suggested her removal came shortly after a major political shift.
"And this was right after Trump became president," Lindsay said, tying her experience directly to federal policy. During his first month of the second term, President Trump signed an executive order designed to protect women’s sports under Title IX.
The order prohibits schools and colleges receiving federal funding from allowing biological males into women’s locker rooms, bathrooms, or sports teams. If athletic associations or educational institutions violate the policy, they risk losing federal money and facing investigations. The directive immediately forced major organizations to adjust.
Several institutions, including the NCAA, changed their rules to comply with the Trump order. It was a dramatic reversal from the Biden-era guidelines, which encouraged gender identity policies over biological sex. Many parents, coaches, and female athletes called the change long overdue.
Lindsay’s claims now land in the middle of that cultural and legal shift. The Panthers have not publicly commented on the situation. For now, Lindsay is presenting her exit as a political casualty, while Trump supporters view the new Title IX enforcement as necessary protection for girls and women in sports.