Valentina Sampaio, 23, becomes first trans model in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue

After becoming the first trans woman to appear on the cover of Vogue Paris in 2017 and the first to be hired by Victoria’s Secret in 2019,  Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio, 23, has made history by becoming the first transgender model to feature in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.

Sampaio will be the part of July issue  that will hit the stands on 21 July 

“I am excited and honored to be part of the iconic Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue”, she wrote in her Instagram post. “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”, she added.

Reflecting further on what it’s like to be a transgender person in Brazil, Sampaio wrote, “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”

She added that “being a trans usually means facing closed doors to peoples’ hearts and minds”. They 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”, she added. 

Sampaio gave a glimpse of the photoshoot, that took place on Scrub Island in the British Virgin Islands, in the Caribbean.

In Brazil, a trans person is killed every 48 hours, as per the National Association of Trans People and Transsexuals’ (ANTRA) 2017 data. 

Sports Illustrated has made its mark in being more inclusive and diverse. Last year, Halima Aden made headlines after she posed for the magazine in a hijab and burkini. In 2016, Ashley Graham was the first plus-sized model to feature in the magazine.