Leyna Bloom makes history becoming the first openly transgender woman to cover the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Bloom’s cover is one of three. The others feature Megan Thee Stallion and Naomi Osaka.
It was previously announced that Bloom is the first trans model of color to appear in the magazine. Meg is the first rapper to cover the issue. Osaka is the first Haitian and Japanese woman and first Black female athlete to grace the cover.
“This cover and this moment represent what it looks like in the future,” Bloom told Page Six, who announced the news.
She and Tyra Banks, the first Black model featured on a solo cover of the issue, have been communicating.
Bloom’s cover comes as more inclusion is happening with the publication. Last year, Valentina Sampaio became the first trans model to appear in the swimsuit edition. Bloom is the second. Lewis Freese, a nonbinary model assigned male at birth, is also in this year’s publication.
Sources: TheJasmineBrand.com, TMZ.com, The Source.com, LoveBScott.com