By Lisa Respers France, CNN
2 minute read
Published 9:09 AM EDT, Fri October 20, 2017
YouTube star Jazz Jennings is part of the ranks of prominent transgender individuals doing their part to increase the community's visibility in the media. The teen activist appeared in Clean & Clear's digital campaign an stars in a TLC reality show about her life.
Former child star J.J. Totah came out as a transgender girl in am essay published by Time magazine. "My pronouns are she, her and hers. I identify as female, specifically as a transgender female. And my name is Josie Totah," Totah wrote.
It was announced in July that transgender actress Nicole Maines had been cast as a transgender super hero, Nia Nal, who is described as "a soulful young transgender woman with a fierce drive to protect others" on The CW's "Supergirl."
Ines Rau has become the first openly transgender woman to appear as a Playboy Playmate with her spread in the November/December 2017 issue.
Gavin Rossum of the band LCD Soundsystem told Grindr in a July 2017 interview that she's been trying to come out fully as a trans woman for years.
In June, the artist formerly known as Charice Pempengco reintroduced himself to the world as Jake Zyrus. The singer debuted a new look in 2015 after telling Oprah Winfrey in an interview the year before that "Basically, my soul is like male."
Zeke Smith was outed as a transgender man on a controversial episode of "Survivor: Game Changers." The 29-year-old asset manager who lives in Brooklyn told People he struggled to forgive fellow contestant Jeff Varner who revealed the information during a Tribal Council.
Caitlyn Jenner, previously known as Bruce, revealed her new name and gender in Vanity Fair in June 2015. Jenner's announcement was called a watershed moment for transgender visibility. She appeared in the reality show "I Am Cait."
Laverne Cox, who was cast as Frank-N-Furter in the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" remake, is the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy. She appeared on the VH1 reality show "I Want to Work for Diddy" and later produced her own series, "TRANSform Me." She now portrays Sophia, a trans woman in prison, on the Netflix show "Orange Is the New Black." She received the Emmy nomination for that role.
Former male model Andrej Pejic revealed to People magazine in July 2014 that she has undergone sex reassignment surgery and is now Andreja.
Former "Drag Race" contestant Carmen Carrera wants to be the first transgender model to walk the runway for the Victoria's Secret fashion show.
Amanda Lepore is an iconic mainstay on the fashion and New York nightlife scenes. She has been a muse for fashion photographer David LaChapelle.
Lana Wachowski was "Laurence" when she and her brother Andy directed films like "The Matrix."
Producer/director Lilly Wachowski used to be Andy and transitioned after her sister Lana Wachowski.
Chaz Bono transitioned from Chastity Bono, which is how many fans knew him when he appeared on his parents variety series, "The Sonny & Cher Show."
Isis King was a contestant on the 11th and 17th cycles of "America's Next Top Model."
Lea T is a Brazilian/Italian who has served as a muse for the designer Givenchy. She revealed she was transgender in 2010.
Transgender celebrities
Story highlights
French model Ines Rau makes second appearance in the magazine
It's the first issue of Playboy since founder Hugh Hefner's death last month
CNN —
The late Hugh Hefner broke ground with Playboy, and now the first issue of the magazine since his recent death is doing the same.
The November/December issue features the men magazine’s first openly transgender Playmate.
French model Ines Rau appears in a spread and the centerfold.
It’s her second appearance in the publication. Rau was featured in a special section of the May 2014 issue where she was photographed fully nude by Ryan McGinley for a spread titled “Evolution.”
“It’s how I celebrated my coming out, actually,” Rau said in the story accompanying her new photo spread. “I took that chance, and then I signed with an agency.”
The model is well-known among those who follow fashion since she has appeared on runways, in a Balmain campaign and in Vogue as well as other publications.
There has been some backlash against featuring Rau, which Playboy has tried to counteract on social media, noting that transgender model Tula posed for the magazine in September 1991 and that the first black Playmate, Jennifer Jackson, faced resistance in 1965.
Playboy tweeted an image of Rau writing, “Standing on the right side of history.”
Cooper Hefner, Hugh’s son and an executive at the magazine, also tweeted a defense of the spread.
“We should collectively be fighting for a more open world, not one that promotes hatred and a lack of acceptance,” he wrote.
Rau was reportedly set to be the issue’s cover girl, but with the September 27 death of Hugh Hefner a portrait of the magazine’s founder made the cover instead.
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