AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER
HER name is Leyna Bloom and she has made history.
As March continues to celebrate International Women’s Month, Leyna Bloom made history as a cover star for Sports Illustrated magazine, set to be released in July, making her the first transgender model of colour to do so.
Bloom, a South Chicago native, told The New York Times that one of her biggest goals as a rising model was to be seen, not just for her curves or her looks, but to be seen as a someone who was as deserving to be featured in a magazine as much as the cis-women models seen on popular covers like Sports Illustrated (SI) and Vogue.
“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 colour of your skin,” Bloom said.
The Afro-Fillipino model further told the newspaper that she had strictly told Sports Illustrated that she would be posing in only one-piece suits, as she was most comfortable, rather than in the two-piece swimsuits that SI audiences are used to seeing (except for the time Halima Aden posed in her hijab).
“I’m promoting something that has been missing in the world: trans beauty in all shapes and all sizes. I’m representing Filipina, I’m representing Black, I am representing people who have been immigrants. For them, I’m a vessel of change,” she said.
Sports Illustrated’s editor MJ Day, explained the magazine’s decision to feature Leyna Bloom, with Day revealing that the outlet was “honoured to have her in this year’s issue and understand the effect it will have on so many others”.
An established model, Bloom has walked down the catwalk with Zendaya and Grace Jones for Tommy Hilfiger, has posed for Vogue India, and appeared alongside Naomi Osaka in a Levi’s ad campaign. The model has also made her acting debut in the indie film ‘Port Authority’ in the role of a transgender woman.
The announcement of Leyna Bloom as Sports Illustrated cover star makes her the second transgender model to feature in the magazine. Valentina Sampaio was featured as the first transgender model on the cover in 2020.
Sports Illustrated has in recent years made historic features in the magazine. Ashley graham was the first size 16 model to cover the magazine, Aden was the first to pose in a hijab, Asian-dutch model Yumi Nu became the first Asian curve model featured in SI’s 2021 Swimsuit issue, and 57 year-old Kathy Johnson made her debut as a positive outlook on aging models.
