Model Lauren Chan has made history as the “first out lesbian” featured on the on the cover of Sports Illustrated for its annual swimsuit issue.
Chan will serve as one of four cover stars for the swimsuit issue due out on May 17 alongside actress Salma Hayek, gymnast Jordan Chiles, and influencer Livvy Dunne. Her appearance comes after her debut in 2023 as “the first queer plus-size model to appear in the magazine,” according to Pink News.
Speaking to People, Chan, who founded the Henning clothing brand, said that “representation and inclusion” have been two guiding lights in her career choices.
“My whole career has been based on representation and inclusion, first for folks of size with my time as a plus-size model and fashion editor and plus-size brand founder,” she said.
She also claimed to be the first Chinese woman to grace the cover.
“Then, once I started my journey with swimsuit, it has become a lot about LGBTQ folks and the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community, because I believe I’m also the first Chinese person on the cover of swimsuit,” she said. “So, although my career has taken different forms, the same North Star has been followed, and that is to represent people like me who have felt marginalized and left out, to have them feel not just included but celebrated.”
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In terms of beauty standards, Chan said that she does not hold women to a “bullshit standard of beauty.”
“I would never look at a woman and think that because she doesn’t meet some bull***t standard of beauty, she’s unattractive,” she said. “And when I flip that logic on myself, I feel such a relief. I’m really excited to share that sentiment with folks, whether they’re queer or not.”
Chan divorced her husband in 2023 and came out lesbian, which says sometimes confuses people about her sexuality.“Because I identified as straight until recently, most people I’ve privately come out to have been surprised at this change in my sexuality. First and foremost: me,” she said.
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