Leyna Bloom Is 'Sports Illustrated' Swimsuit's First Trans Cover Star

On Monday, the publication revealed that the model was one of the "three history-making covers" for this year's iteration of the iconic issue alongside Megan Thee Stallion and Naomi Osaka. And according to SI swimsuit's editor-in-chief, MJ Day, Bloom's selection was important as one "grounded in resilience" and her "lifetime dedication to forging her own path."

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In her own post though, Bloom framed the moment as a win for her community and NYC's ballroom scene by dedicating her cover "to all the ballroom femme queens past, present and future."

"This historical moment is important to #girlslikeus because it allows us to live and be seen," Bloom wrote on Instagram. "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."

She went on to add, "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."

"This moment heals a lot of pain in the world," Bloom continued. "We deserve this moment; we have waited millions of years to show up as survivors and be seen as full humans filled with wonder."

See Bloom's post celebrating the milestone, below.

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A post shared by Leyna Bloom (@leynabloom)

Photo via Getty/ Francois Durand