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Trans model Leyna Bloom made history this week. She was one of three models to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated’s prestigious swimwear issue.
The other two women to feature were tennis player Naomi Osaka and singer Megan Thee Stallion.
Meet Your #SISwim21 Cover Models: @naomiosaka, @theestallion and @leynabloom! https://t.co/93XYiWUzTi pic.twitter.com/pnCPnMeT10
— Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) July 19, 2021
Bloom becomes the first trans woman to feature on the swimwear issue. She says she can still remember seeing the swimwear issues as a child back in 1997, featuring Tyra Banks on the cover. The swimwear issue often features models on the cover, rather than athletes.
“When they told me I got the cover, I spoke to my dad,” Bloom told Page Six Style.
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“I was like, ‘When I was looking at that magazine … I was looking into my future. You were giving me the tools I needed to see myself, to know that I could be there, that I could inspire, that one day I could be a part of this.’”
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Bloom posted a longer reaction to her Instagram, in a caption accompanying the front cover.
“This moment heals a lot of pain in the world. We deserve this moment; we have waited millions of years to show up as survivors and be seen as full humans filled with wonder.
“I’m am so happy, honored, and humbled to share that I’m the 1st trans woman to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated!”
She went on to thank magazine for recognizing the importance of representation, and expressed gratitude to those involved with the shoot.
“I have dreamt a million beautiful dreams, but for girls like me, most dreams are just fanciful hopes in a world that often erases and omits our history and even existence,” she continued.
“This moment is so powerful because it allows me to live forever even after my physical form is gone. Not a lot of people get to live in the future, so at this moment, I’m proudly choosing to live forever.
“I dedicate this cover to all ballroom femme queens past, present and future. This historical moment is important to #girlslikeus because it allows us to live and be seen. Many girls like us don’t have the chance to live our dreams, or to live long at all. I hope my cover empowers those, who are struggling to be seen, feel valued. Let me be a messenger guiding us to a future of respect and appreciation for all women in all forms and from all walks of life.
“I truly believe everything we do and everyone we meet are put in our path for a purpose. There are no accidents. We’re all teachers and if you are willing to pay attention to the lessons, trust your positive instincts and not be afraid to take risks, the possibilities are infinite!”
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Bloom grew up on the south side of Chicago. She moved to New York City at the age of 17 and was discovered in a store in Soho, which kick-started her modelling career. She has done campaigns for H&M and Levis and appeared in Vogue India.
In 2020, Valentina Sampaio was the first trans model to appear in Sports Illustrated’s swimwear issue. Bloom is the first to feature on the cover.
Harley
She is either post surgical or does a masterful tuck job.
Ginger Tom
I will take an uneducated guess and say she has had an operation to bring her undercarriage up and in after take off. Really gorgeous young lady!
Kangol2
Amazing. She is stunning. Congrats to her for this pioneering gig!
(Naomi Osaka looks fabulous too!)
Cam
Congratulations!
Hank31
This is the second transwoman to be featured in the swimsuit issue. SI’s readers are overwhelmingly straight guys. Is there really a reader demand for this? If not, why does SI keep pushing it?
msfrost
Not many “straight” men can admit, they are attracted by Transwomen!
jockjack5
Hank31
I’m plenty old enough to remember the days before the internet… and certainly long before the concept of Trans surfaced… but back in-the-day there was a convergence within the marketplace of porn and trans.
It was readily available back then in X-rated magazines and movies. It was commonly referred to as “Chicks with Dicks”, and I think this whole sub-genre made it possible for a large portion of ostensibly straight men to view lustfully at images of hard penises, which is REALLY what the wanted to see.
So, today, I’m sure that the folks at Sports Illustrated know there is a market out there (perhaps small) that will enjoy seeing this “chick” in a swimsuit.
Hank31
@jockjack There are men who have a paraphilia known as gynandromorphophilia (GAMP), which is the attraction to biological males who present as women but who retain their male organs. If this trans model no longer has lost the male organ, there would be no attraction for GAMPs. But even if the model has retained the organ, I really doubt that there are so many GAMP SI readers that they could compensate for the loss of heterosexual male readers who are put off by seeing a natal male on the cover of the swimsuit issue.
LumpyPillows
I’ve always been confused by the SI swimsuit issue. This doesn’t clear it up for me. That said, she looks great.