She’s a seductive cover girl, but some advise her to cover up.
Kim Petras, a pop singer, is the second transgender woman to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR NEWSLETTERConservatives are asking for a boycott of the magazine, which is being criticized.
Many others, however, reacted angrily to anti-transgender statements.
This year’s Swimsuit Issue features four covers, including Megan Fox, Brooks Nader, and Martha Stewart.
She opened out to the sports bible about the “pressure” that comes with being an LGBTQ+ icon.
VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL“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, 30, told SI in her cover interview, as anti-LGBTQ legislation swept the country.
“I do feel pressure sometimes to represent the trans community with everything I do,” the Grammy winner said. “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.”
Despite being a victory for the LGBTQ community, the trans-inclusive cover provoked uproar from conservatives, who compared it to the enormous response Bud Light had after partnering up with transgender social media star Dylan Mulvaney.
“Except Kim Petras is not there because of her popularity with SI readership, but because SI editorial despises its readership, just as Bud Light management despises its customer base,” one Twitter user responded to SI’s tweet regarding Petras’ cover. “This really pure class contempt. ‘Ha ha those dumb beer-drinking SI readers!’”
An inquisitive user accused the publication of “mind rape,” adding, “The goal is to trick hetero men into sexual desire for other men.”
Another person referred to the cover as a “celebration of something very dark and very sad.”
Others, on the other hand, stepped out in support of seeing Petras, chastising critics.
“I don’t see what hurts you about trans people. It doesn’t affect you,” one social media user remarked. “The amount of trans hate in this thread is unreal.”
“Love Martha Stewart and Kim Petras,” said another. “Tired of men deciding what defines … beautiful women.”
Another person praised Petras for having “such a sweet soul.”
According to the musician, being trans isn’t even the most significant aspect of her.
“I always try to remember that everything I do is definitely not about being transgender. It’s a part of me, but there are so many other parts of me,” the “Coconuts” singer told Sports Illustrated. “And I think that’s really important for me to show that to people. No matter what your gender or sexuality or any of that stuff is, it’s about what you make of life and it’s about what’s inside of you, so I hope that can be inspiring to people.”
Petras made history earlier this year when she and Sam Smith won Best Pop Duo Performance at the 65th Grammy Awards for their dance song “Unholy.”
She was the first transgender woman to win a Grammy, and the second trans woman overall.