Leyna Bloom just made history as the first transgender woman of color to appear in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. “This is what it looks like to be in full bloom,” the model and actress wrote on Instagram, captioning a picture from the shoot. “Thank you Sports Illustrated for allowing me to showcase my heavenly form. My spirit has reached new levels. This moment is bigger than my wildest infinite dreams.”
Bloom hopes viewers will see both her autonomy and her anatomy are beautiful, she told The New York Times on Tuesday, March 16. “I want people to see that, and to see that you can be respected, appreciated and loved regardless of your body shape, sexuality, and the color of your skin,” she told the Times. Sports Illustrated is often thought of as a relic with less than progressive gender stereotypes but for Bloom, “this is a way of reaching the top of the food chain,” she explained to the Times. “Let’s at least have this moment and say that we had it, and then we can go on to dismantle it.”
Progression has been a slow process for the magazine. Last summer (June 2020), the magazine featured its first transgender model, Valentina Sampaio; Ashley Graham was the first plus-size model in 2016; Halima Aden was the first hijabi model in 2019; and Tyra Banks became the oldest SI model at 46 when she returned to the magazine 22 years after she made history as the first Black model on the cover. Vogue credits such an inclusive lineup to the publication’s longtime editor in chief, MJ Day. “Our goal in selecting who we feature is centered around identifying some of the most inspiring, interesting, and multidimensional women that we can find,” Day told Vogue back in 2020.
“I’m promoting something that has been missing in the world: trans beauty in all shapes and all sizes,” Bloom told the Times. “I’m representing Filipina, I’m representing Black, I am representing people who have been immigrants. For them, I’m a vessel of change.”
