I imagine that Sports Illustrated has a fair number of conservatives among its readership. And although I wouldn’t call the annual SI Swimsuit Issue a venerable tradition, it has been a reliable staple for the magazine. I haven’t made a survey, but I have the impression that the swimsuit models have been rather… well, modely. Modelesque?
Anyway, this year is going to be interesting, because three Black and mixed-race women will be featured on the covers of the swimsuit editions.
And one of them, Leyna Bloom, is a transgender activist!
Read the descriptions of these three outstanding women to find out why their inclusion (especially Leyna Bloom!) is going to grate hard on bigots’ nerves.
swimsuit.si.com/…
• Megan Thee Stallion, a Black rapper and activist:
Megan Thee Stallion, one of three 2021 SI Swimsuit cover models, is a three-time Grammy award winner, philanthropist and ever-evolving cultural icon. … Megan, the 2021 Grammy Best New Artist, has also won nine BET Award, including back-to-back honors as Best Female Hip Hop Artist…
… In October 2020, following a powerful and politically charged performance on Saturday Night Live that demanded justice for Breonna Taylor, Megan published her monumental “Why I Speak Up For Black Women” op-ed and accompanying visual with The New York Times.
• Naomi Osaka, a Japanese/Haitian athlete and activist:
Naomi Osaka, one of three 2021 SI Swimsuit cover models, is one of the most explosive and influential tennis players of all time. Naomi is the first Asian player to hold the No.1 ranking in singles and the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam tournament. The 2020 SI Sportsperson of the Year, her extraordinary tennis triumphs combined with her off-court activism make her one of the biggest global names in all of sports.
• Leyna Bloom, a Filipina/Black actress, model, and activist:
Leyna Bloom made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2021. Leyna is an actress, model, dancer and activist. In 2019, Leyna was the only transgender model to walk the runway at Paris Fashion Week for Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya’s Fall/Winter collection. … her acting debut in Danielle Lessovitz’s Port Authority, which premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival … was the first film in festival history to feature a transgender woman of color in a leading role.
(Emphasis mine.)
So what do you think? Is there enough conservative angst fodder here?
Well, Megyn Kelly is already sniping at Osaka; no surprise there.