Playboy, the men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, has made history by introducing the first transgender playmate in their November/December 2017 issue.
The latest edition has been released as a tribute to the magazine's founder, Hugh Hefner. It features French model Ines Rau as its first transgender playmate with a centrefold and a pictorial. The 26-year-old model described the collaboration as a turning point in her life.
"It's how I celebrated my coming out, actually. I took that chance, and then I signed with an agency. I lived a long time without saying I was transgender. I dated a lot and almost forgot. 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. 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," the model said in a statement.
Also read Hugh Hefner biopic: THIS Suicide Squad actor to star as the Playboy founder
Apart from commanding several couture runways, Rau has starred in Balmain campaign and appeared in Vogue Italia. She has also appeared in a special May 2014 edition of Playboy, which focussed on humanity's halting shift toward acceptance of gender identities beyond the male-female binary.
"I will always fight for LGBTQ rights and women's rights, but above everything else, my cause is the environment. Nothing touches me more than fighting against global warming. I was made to fight for the planet—the forest, the animals, the air. If I get famous, that's my first battle," the French model said.
Rau wore white lingerie set for the spread, which was captured on camera by Derek Kettela. "When I was doing this shoot, I was thinking of all those hard days in my childhood. And now everything happening gives me so much joy and happiness. I thought, Am I really going to be a Playmate—me? It's the most beautiful compliment I've ever received. It's like getting a giant bouquet of roses," she said.
