Trans pop star Kim Petras is on the cover and main focal point of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue destined for sale later this week.
Sports Illustrated is releasing a series of swimsuit issues this week with four different cover models: Megan Fox, Kim Petras, Martha Stewart, and Brooks Nader.
According to the magazine, the German-born singer is being applauded “as the first transgender woman in history to win a Grammy Award for best pop duo/group performance, for her collaboration ‘Unholy’ with Sam Smith.”
The moment came just six years after Petras released a first single. The “Coconuts” singer is “a true change-maker who uses her platform to uplift and inspire the LGBTQ+ community,” according to the publication.
Petras says being on the cover for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is a “huge confidence boost.”
“I was so excited when I got the call to be in Sports Illustrated,” Petras told the publication. “It’s very iconic, and a lot of very iconic people have done it before, so [it was a] big dream come true for me.”
“It’s definitely a scary time to be transgender in America, but there’s also so much more representation than there’s ever been, and there’s so many things on the bright side,” Petras added.
“I do feel a pressure sometimes to represent the trans community with everything I do, because I feel very blessed that I am at this point where I have all these amazing opportunities that I’ve worked really hard for and feel so happy when I hear from trans people in general that they’re inspired by me.”
Kim Petras was photographed by Yu Tsai in Los Angeles. Top by PatBO. Swimsuit bottom by Frankies Bikinis x Sydney Sweeney. Earrings by Alexis Bittar. Ring by Sophie Buhai. (Sports Illustrated)
Petras is the second transsexual to feature on the magazine’s pages.
Leyna Bloom, a biological man who identifies as a woman, was the first openly trans cover model in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue history in 2021, as Breitbart News reported.
The latest issue hits newsstands May 18.