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1975 Playboy Bunny of the Year Awards

Source: Ron Galella / Getty

The passing of Hugh Hefner in the end of September brought a lot of emotions from different communities who both loved and were weary of his developments throughout his life. Of course, Hugh was the founder of the legendary publication Playboy, and has been overseeing the magazine since its first issue since 1953.

Now, without the presence of Hugh around the magazine, Playboy is making history by featuring their first transgender playmate on the cover/in the spread of the magazine. It’s hard to say if Hugh had anything to do with the selection of a transgender playmate, but this isn’t her first time appearing in the magazine. Ines Rau, the November 2017 playmate, appeared in a May 2014 issue of the magazine, photographed fully nude in what she describes as a celebration of her coming out.

Met with a good amount of backlash on Twitter, Rau explains her ideals of womanhood throughout her cover story declaring, “Being a woman doesn’t mean being extremely feminine all the time. Being a woman is just being a woman.” Ines also speaks on those who suggest that being transgender is going against nature and defends her right saying, “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. If I want to get a sex change, it’s between myself and my body. I could hide it, but I don’t, because I respect people.”

Though there are some harsh comments online about Playboy’s decision to have Ines Rau as their playmate, she is making history for being able to be the first openly transgender playmate in the magazine’s 64 year history.