The latest issue of Playboy will feature a transgender playmate, which will mark the first transgender person to be on the magazine’s cover in their 64-year history. She will have a full pectoral and be in the centerfold.
Playboy has been in the news recently, due to the death of their 91-year-old founder and business magnate Hugh Hefner.
The playmate, 26-year-old model Ines Rau, poses fully nude in the November/December 2017 issue.
Here’s a picture Playboy tweeted of her yesterday:
“Being a woman is just being a woman.” Meet November 2017 Playmate Ines Rau, the first transgender Playmate. https://t.co/w28vfilSP9 pic.twitter.com/iVAqOgB0TK
— Playboy (@Playboy) October 18, 2017
This is coincidentally the first issue to hit the newsstands since Hefner’s death in September.
Some false reports are coming out that Rau is the first transgendered person to be in Playboy. Actually, the first was Caroline “Tula” Cossey in 1991, as tweeted directly Playboy today.
The first transgender woman to pose for Playboy was Tula in September 1991. pic.twitter.com/Xpl65HZaEU
— Playboy (@Playboy) October 19, 2017
According to Cossey, no one else would hire her, so she considers Hefner to be a savior for her career because he was the only person who would listen to her side of the story.
Cossey tweeted this after Hefner’s death:
R.I.P Hugh Hefner Thank u 4 allowing me 2 share my story & 4 ur support & platform that helped my campaign 4 trans rights and visibility. pic.twitter.com/yYh2SpbGMq
— Caroline Cossey (@Caroline_Cossey) September 28, 2017
The upcoming issue will have a lengthy tribute to Hugh, while also describing the history of the magazine.
“When I was doing this shoot, I was thinking of all those hard days in my childhood,” Rau said in an interview following the shoot. “Now everything happening gives me so much joy and happiness. I thought, ‘Am I really going to be a Playmate—me?”
Rau has appeared in Vogue Italian and W magazine, but called this opportunity the “most beautiful compliment I’ve ever received.”
She appeared in Playboy in 2014 as well.
“People have said that being transgender goes against the laws of nature, but they’re the same people who aren’t doing anything to help nature,” she said. “It’s between myself and my body. I could hide it, but I don’t because I respect people.”
Rau also believes that nudity should be looked at as a celebration of the human body.
“I’m an advocate for anyone who is scared to be who they really are because they fear being judged or rejected. They should be empowered by their differences and not be who society tells them to be.”
Photo from Rau’s instagram:
The upcoming historic issue is receiving mixed reactions. Some people feel like it is a big win for the transgender community and magazine in general, while others feel uncomfortable with her being featured.
how i feel on the transgender woman being in playboy-
there should be a separate magazine just like playboy but the trans version— Halloweed (@_Dirot_) October 18, 2017
Facebook commenter Matthew Dowling wrote, “Kudos to Playboy for featuring a transgender model!”
perhaps instead of adding transgender women to the misogynistic culture of playboy we should you know… value them as human beings instead?
— katy (◠‿◠) (@pineapplekaty) October 19, 2017
@Playboy Know your audience.
— K (@ksanton63) October 19, 2017
How do you feel about this news? Let us know in the comments!
–PJ Amirata
