Playboy magazine is keeping up with the times.
In the aftermath of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner’s death, the publication is pushing forward with a groundbreaking move for the brand.
Model Ines Rau has been introduced as the first-ever transgender playmate. The New York resident is a French model of North African descent and Playboy‘s first openly transgender cover model.
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“Nudity shouldn’t be taboo. Nudity means a lot to me, since I went through a transition to get where I want to be,” Rau said in a caption published by the brand. “Nudity is a celebration of the human being without all the excess. It’s not about sexuality but the beauty of the human body, whether male or female.”
Rau, 26, has already developed a reputation on social media among her 240,000 Instagram followers.
This isn’t the first time a transgender model has appeared in Playboy magazine and even Rau has previously modelled for the publication in 2014. The French model is, however, the first openly transgender woman to be the magazine’s centrefold star.
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“I lived a long time without saying I was transgender. I dated a lot and almost forgot,” she told Playboy. “I was scared of never finding a boyfriend and being seen as weird. Then I was like, ‘You know, you should just be who you are.'”
Adding, “It’s a salvation to speak the truth about yourself, whether it’s your gender, sexuality, whatever. The people who reject you aren’t worth it. It’s not about being loved by others; it’s about loving yourself.”
Rau’s editorial will be featured in the Nov./Dec. 2017 issue, which will also pay tribute Hefner.
