Yahoo News 'Sports Illustrated Swimsuit' Rookie Lauren Chan Says She Wants to Dismantle 'the Beauty Ideal'
"I'm a size 14, I'm Asian and Middle Eastern, I'm queer, and I'm proud to be in the pages of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit," she tells PEOPLE exclusively
Lauren Chan isn't afraid to make waves.
The model is one of this year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Rookies, making her the first plus-size queer Rookie in the brand's history. Her official swimsuit shots were unveiled Wednesday.
"I'm so excited for a chapter with SI Swimsuit in which I get to celebrate women for who we are, what we have to say, and what change we can effect," she tells PEOPLE exclusively about her debut in the magazine.
"I'm a size 14, I'm Asian and Middle Eastern, I'm queer," the 32-year-old model says, adding, "and I'm proud to be in the pages of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in order to represent the continued dismantling of the beauty ideal — especially at a time where we are seeing a decrease in diversity on runways, in television, etc."
The former fashion editor and Henning brand founder, who recently got divorced after coming out as queer, is "relieved, motivated, and excited" to be making her debut in the SI Swimsuit issue, which hits newsstands next month.
"When I recorded my casting tape, it was the first time I'd talked about my recent divorce and being newly out as queer; it was quite vulnerable and, to be honest, I was worried I'd overshared," Chan tells PEOPLE.
"Two months later, SI Swimsuit's editor-in-chief MJ Day told me that I would be in the 2023 issue; I could feel her support and encouragement through Zoom. I felt immediately committed to showing up as my whole self throughout this experience in hopes that it helps readers do the same in their lives."
Not only is Chan breaking the mold in the modeling industry, she's also not afraid to shake things up in her personal life if it means being true to herself.
The former Glamour fashion editor wrote a first-person essay for the magazine ahead of the SI Swimsuit issue drop, and revealed what it was like to realize she was queer while married to a man.
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"Because I identified as straight until recently, most people I've privately come out to have been surprised at this change in my sexuality," she wrote. "First and foremost: me. Believe it or not, I was shocked that I—a 30-something, married to a man, professional purveyor of self-acceptance—am coming out late."
After starting therapy after a period of anxiety and stress, Chan started uncovering some deep-seated feelings and thoughts, specifically around her sexuality.
"Eventually, I got in touch with my feelings and if I caught myself, say, fixating on a queer TV character, I'd let my mind wander further into the thought," she wrote. She then "began to process the life-changing notion that I may have mistakenly identified with the wrong sexuality—and I began to take small actions to further investigate."
Chan also wrote about why she decided to come out in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. "I spent my career representing women who look like me—and I'm ready for a chapter in which I get to celebrate us for who we are on the inside, too," she said.
"That's the SI Swimsuit mission and they've been hugely successful in moving our culture forward with it. (Ahem: Ashley Graham! Leyna Bloom! Maye Musk!) Here feels like the right place to celebrate my hard fought pride, relate to other folks in my position, and perhaps change some people's view of the queer community."
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