The First Transgender Playmate
Over its 64 year history, men have looked to Playboy magazine to define sex. After featuring Marilyn Monroe on its first 1953 cover, Playboy has highlighted sex appeal in women of color, successful women in media, and even Marge Simpson in 2009 (yes, this is actually true). But despite its progressive nature, many were shocked by Playboy’s recent announcement that it will feature a transgender cover model in its November 2017 issue.
Ines Rau, a 26-year-old transgender model from France, will grace the hallowed pages of Playboy this coming month, and her game-changing presence is receiving mixed reviews.
Cooper Hefner, an executive at Playboy, seemed unfazed by the harsh criticism of some readers, noting, “I didn’t make that decision based off of whether or not individuals who were paying for products or are fans of the brand are going to be satisfied with it. I made the decision because it was the right decision to make, regardless of the comments that come out.”
It seems that our society still has a long way to go in recognizing and acknowledging sexuality. However, Ines Rau is a strong advocate, recognizing her influential position and ability to change public perception of transgender individuals. In a recent interview, she commented, “my story is very heavy, and you’re going to always have people who don’t understand and are being very mean, and seeing that, it makes even more sense to fight for awareness and respect.”
Over the past few months, the transgender community has endured serious opposition, most notably from President Donald Trump, who attempted to enact a transgender military ban in July. On Monday, October 30th, a federal judge in DC barred the Trump administration from carrying out these plans, but it is clear that the sexuality debate is far from over, and the LGBTQ community will need to continue fighting to attain widespread acceptance and equality.
Playboy’s decision to appoint Ines Rau as Playmate for November works toward altering perceptions about transgender individuals in our society. By hailing Rau’s sex appeal, Playboy proves that beauty is not confined within strict gender roles. Having Rau pose almost nude is another power move by the magazine— not only does it show that Rau is no different than any previous Playmate, but it further drives home that, despite being born a male, Rau’s body is unmistakably feminine, redefining what it means to be considered “female”.
