A viral clip has been making the rounds online, featuring Justine Lindsay — the NFL’s first transgender cheerleader — loudly claiming she was removed from the Carolina Panthers cheer squad because she’s trans. The video, which you can watch below, has stirred up quite the buzz.
Now, here at our newsroom, we’re not here to pile on or be cruel — but when someone tosses out a dramatic claim like “I was cut because I’m trans,” and then blames it on President Trump’s return to the White House, well, we’ve got to take a closer look. Is this a case of discrimination, or is it just someone refusing to accept that maybe — just maybe — they didn’t make the cut?
Let’s unpack what’s really going on.
Justine Lindsay joined the Carolina Panthers’ TopCats cheerleading squad in 2022, making headlines as the first openly transgender cheerleader in NFL history. She held the position for about three seasons before being let go in August. That’s a decent run for any cheerleader in the NFL, a role where turnover is pretty common.
But in a livestream with Gaye Magazine, Lindsay claimed she was let go “because I’m trans.” She insisted she would never have walked away from the squad voluntarily. “Why the hell would I not wanna come back to an organization that I’ve been a part of for three years?” she asked.
Well, let’s answer that: Maybe the team just didn’t think she was up to the job anymore. Maybe they were looking for stronger performers or wanted a different look for the squad. That’s how professional entertainment works — it’s competitive, it’s cutthroat, and it has nothing to do with feelings.
Lindsay went on to say that her removal was “a slap in the face to the youth” and then, oddly, tied the decision to President Trump’s return to the White House. “This was right after Trump became president,” she pointed out, as if that alone explained everything.
But here’s the thing: President Trump’s executive order — which reinforced the longstanding principle that biological sex matters in sports and locker rooms — applies to schools and colleges, not the NFL. The Panthers aren’t a public school. They’re a private organization, and they’re free to make their own hiring choices. So blaming the president for a professional team’s internal decision is a stretch. A big one.
Now, let’s talk about the performance. If you watched the video above, you might notice something: Lindsay simply doesn’t bring the same energy or precision as the rest of the squad. There’s a reason NFL cheerleaders are at the top of their game — they’re athletes in their own right, with years of dance training, physical conditioning, and performance experience. If someone can’t keep up, they usually don’t stay on the roster. That’s not mean. That’s just reality.
Lindsay claims she has “no ill will” toward the Panthers, which is nice to hear. But accusing the team of discrimination — without showing any evidence — while also blaming political winds for your own job loss? That’s a little rich.
Let’s be honest here. If you’re going to take a high-profile spot on an NFL cheer squad, you’ve got to be the best of the best. That means hitting the routines right, bringing the energy, and fitting in with the team’s vision. If that doesn’t happen, the team moves on. It’s not personal. It’s business.
And while we can all appreciate someone chasing their dream, we also have to recognize when someone’s turning a routine contract decision into a political spectacle. Maybe Lindsay feels hurt. Maybe she really believed she was doing a great job. But that doesn’t mean the Panthers were wrong to move in a new direction.
So let’s not make this into a national crisis or a presidential scandal. It’s one person who didn’t make the cut — and now wants to turn that into a headline. We get it. It stings. But sometimes, you just have to take the pom-poms off gracefully and move on.