Valentina Sampaio becomes first transgender to be part of Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue

Brazilian model and actress Valentina Sampaio has become the first transgender woman to be part of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

Valentina announced the news on her Instagram account, posting a photo of herself clad in a bikini.

"I am excited and honored to be part of the iconic Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue," she wrote in the caption of her post.

The model and actress said the Sport Illustrated team "has created yet another groundbreaking issue by bringing together a diverse set of multitalented, beautiful women in a creative and dignified way."

 

 

 

 

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I am excited and honored to be part of the iconic Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The team at SI has created yet another groundbreaking issue by bringing together a diverse set of multitalented, beautiful women in a creative and dignified way. I was born trans in a remote, humble fishing village in northern Brazil. Brazil is a beautiful country, but it also hosts the highest number of violent crimes and murders against the trans community in the world—three times that of the U.S. Being trans usually means facing closed doors to peoples’ hearts and minds. We face snickers, insults, fearful reactions and physical violations just for existing. Our options for growing up in a loving and accepting family, having a fruitful experience at school or finding dignified work are unimaginably limited and challenging. ??????????????????

A post shared by Valentina Sampaio (@valentts) on

Jul 10, 2020 at 5:44am PDT

Valentina said she was "born trans in a remote, humble fishing village in northern Brazil" and noted how her country, despite being a beautiful also "hosts the highest number of violent crimes and murders against the trans community in the world—three times that of the U.S."

Valentina opened up saying that "being trans usually means facing closed doors to peoples’ hearts and minds."

"We face snickers, insults, fearful reactions and physical violations just for existing," she added.

Becoming part of the celebrated Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is just another feather in Valentina's cap. In 2019, she became Victoria Secret's first openly transgender model. Two years before that, in 2017, she became the first transgender model to grace the cover of a Vogue edition.

Sports Illustrated are having a number of diverse breakthrough moments in recent years. In 2016, they featured Ashley Graham as its first size 16 cover model.

Last year, SI featured Halima Aden made history as the first to be included in the magazine's editorials wearing the modest style of Muslim women's swimwear.

In May 2019, Filipina Kelsey Merritt became the first Filipino featured on Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News