March 16, 2021
Lenya Bloom Becomes First Trans Woman of Color to Appear in SI Swimsuit
Kevin Schattenkirk READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Leyna Bloom is the "latest rookie" of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2021 and also the first transgender model of color to appear in SI.
As SI notes, Bloom "first gained recognition in the ballroom community and is now single-handedly changing the world of modeling." In 2017, she was one of a few openly transgender models to walk the runway during New York Fashion Week and two years later the only transgender model on the Paris Fashion Week runway. Bloom was also the first transgender woman of color to appear in Vogue magazine India. Bloom, a Chicago native, was named one of Glamour's "Six Women Who Are Shaping The Future of Fashion" in 2018.
Outside of the fashion world, Bloom made her acting debut in Danielle Lessovitz's 2019 film "Port Authority," which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival – which, incidentally, made history in that it was the first film to feature a transgender woman of color playing a lead role. When she's not on the catwalk or the silver screen, Bloom is also an activist.
SI describes Bloom as "strikingly gorgeous and has an undeniable sense of self that shines through the minute she walks on set. Her story represents one grounded in resilience and we couldn't be more thrilled to help her tell it."
Bloom is the first trans woman of color to grace SI, which, as the publication states, is a "result of her lifetime dedication to forging her own path that has led to acceptance, love and change. She represents every person's right to love themselves and be who they want to be. We are honored to have her in this year's issue and understand the effect it will have on so many others. She joins our team, not because of what she represents but because of her beauty, commitment and desire to leave the world a better place."
Kevin Schattenkirk is an ethnomusicologist and pop music aficionado.
