Playboy Announces Its First Transgender Playmate

French model Ines Rau is making history as Playboy's first ever transgender Playmate. Rau, 26, appeared in the magazine already in 2014, but is now getting a centrefold and full pictorial as an official Playmate.

Rau is appearing in the November/ December 2017 issue, which will also feature a special memoriam dedication to the late Hugh Hefner.

"I lived a long time without saying I was transgender," she says to Playboy. "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."

Take a look at one of Rau's photos, shot by Ryan McGinley, below:

Playboy has featured other trans models before, but not as Playmates. In 1981, actress Caroline "Tula" Cossey, who later appeared in the James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only, graced the mag's glossy pages. She appeared again 10 years later, this time after having been outed publically.