Justine Lindsay, the NFL’s first cheerleader to identity as transgender, wants to influence the next generation and compared becoming a member of the Carolina Panthers TopCats cheerleading squad to other accomplishments like becoming a doctor or nurse.
"I want to change the narrative for my trans sisters and brothers, just to [let them] know that if you have a goal, go for it," the cheerleader said. "Turn that dream into a reality. Be an NFL cheerleader, or a doctor or a nurse or whatever you set your mind to."
Lindsay is starting a second season as a TopCats cheerleader.
"Everything that I’m going through now, it’s bigger than me," Lindsay told Elle magazine in an interview from Monday headlined "Loud and Proud."
"I’m setting things up for the younger generation," Lindsay added. "No one is going to stop this show."
The athlete, who was born in North Carolina, also responded directly to the North Carolina Fairness in Women's Sports Act.
"I will fight this until I can’t fight anymore," Lindsay told Elle, in an interview flagged by The Blaze. "It saddens me to see it."
The North Carolina State Legislature recently overrided Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of the act, which bans transgender girls and women in middle school, high school and college from joining women’s sports.
Women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines was pleased to see the override happen for HB 574, posting a clip of Republican Speaker of the North Carolina House Tim Moore relaying the vote that carried the motion through.
"Fantastic news!" Gaines posted on X.
Lindsay also spoke to BuzzFeed News in 2022 about becoming a cheerleader.
"I’m happy because I was able to break down that door and tell people, ‘Hey, we are not just sexual beings. 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,’" Lindsay said at the time.
After the news first hit social media, Lindsay responded to criticism in an Instagram post.
"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 white, black, yellow, trans, straight etc. at the end of the day myself and the other 29 members @topcats made the squad fair and square," Lindsay wrote.
The Carolina Panthers and the TopCats did not respond to a request for comment from FOX News Digital.
FOX News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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