Lauren Chan has made a significant mark on the media landscape as the first openly lesbian model to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated’s annual Swimsuit Issue. The Canadian model, entrepreneur, and passionate advocate for size inclusivity is one of four cover stars for the 2025 edition, a move celebrated by many as a step forward for representation in mainstream media.
Chan’s cover highlights not only her identity as a queer woman but also her pride in her Chinese Canadian heritage. Speaking about the significance of the cover, Chan told People Magazine: “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. Then once I started my journey with Swimsuit, it has become a lot about LGBTQ folks and the AAPI community, because I believe I’m also the first Chinese person on the cover of Swimsuit. 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 marginalised and left out to have them feel not just included but celebrated.”
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This year’s issue also features other rising stars of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) heritage, including model and influencer Ming Lee Simmons, singer and actress Nazanin Mandi, and actress and martial artist Rayna Vallandingham as SI Swimsuit Rookies. Olympic gold medallists Eileen Gu and Suni Lee are also featured in the Athletes category, underscoring a broader push for inclusivity within the publication.
Chan, who made her debut in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in 2023 as the first queer plus-size model in the magazine, expressed her overwhelming joy at the cover reveal. “I’m the first out lesbian on the cover — with her own cover — and how much that means to me makes that surprise feel so overwhelming,” she shared with People. “That’s where I feel like the tears of joy and celebration and relief and community come from.”
The styling of Chan’s cover shoot in Bermuda also held personal significance for her, featuring a bikini by Cult Gaia. “I will say that this year’s styling was my favourite,” Chan told Sports Illustrated. “It’s a little bridal, and I just got engaged, so I felt that special spark of the universe winking at us. We got beautiful weather, it was Bermuda, it was the perfect team, so it did feel special.”
Beyond the stunning visuals, Chan’s involvement with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit extends to her written contributions. “When I started with SI Swimsuit in 2023, I wrote a similar essay for the website about getting divorced, coming out, starting anew, so this relationship that I’ve had with SI Swimsuit is about physical representation and voice, and what’s on the inside and learning how to be your authentic self and watching the world open up for you in the most authentic, aligned way when you have the balls—can I say balls?—to do that!” she exclaimed.
Chan is acutely aware of the impact her cover can have, particularly for those who have historically lacked representation. “When I was growing up, I didn’t know I was queer because there was next to no representation, and it was often not positive or it was so singular, so I feel like the specialness of this moment is taking a space that someone like me wouldn’t have been represented [in] before, and claiming it with pride.”
While many have celebrated Chan’s cover as a landmark moment, the announcement has also drawn criticism online, with some accusing the magazine of promoting a “woke” agenda. However, Chan has directly addressed such negativity. After one Instagram user questioned the purpose of her inclusion, Chan responded, “This is exactly why I show up in this space with my full chest… The inclusion of myself and other folks that represent minorities in SI Swimsuit signifies an evolution in how women are allowed to exist in this society and which women deserve respect.”
She further elaborated on the magazine’s evolving mission, stating, “It is not an outdated, objectifying catalogue of fantasy for patriarchal pawns. If that makes men feel irrelevant and angry enough to throw a tantrum in my comments … I see no issue publicly and permanently addressing them.”
Lauren Chan’s cover marks a significant moment in the ongoing conversation about representation and inclusivity within the fashion and media industries, celebrating her identity and advocating for a more diverse and accepting world.
