First ever Asian Pacific Islander Playboy playmate is also transgender

Transgender model Geena Rocero the first Asian Pacific Islander Playboy playmate

RT reports that Geena Rocero is Playboy’s first ever Asian Pacific Islander playmate and is also transgender

The 35-year-old Filipino-American model goes by the name ‘Tyra Banks’ and will appear in Playboy’s August issue.

Rocero announced the news to her followers on Instagram, writing, “I’m Beyond PROUD to share the news and be the First Trans Asian Pacific Islander @Playboy Playmate!”

 

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I’m Beyond PROUD to share the news and be the First Trans Asian Pacific Islander @Playboy Playmate! Growing up in a very conservative, Catholic patriarchy, I was made to feel ashamed about my relationship with my body. It took many years to unpack the shame ridden beliefs of my gender and sexuality. Moving to NYC to pursue my modeling career presented a much more difficult cultural context. At that time, there was not an ‘out’ trans identified fashion model so I made the decision to hide my personal journey in order to survive. After years of being a successful model, my depression and the paranoia of being ‘Outed’ grew larger every day. The shame that I felt about my transness limited the expression of my full self, my ideas and dreams. I decided to share my story for the first time at @Ted Conference, in order to free myself. This Playboy Playmate honor is another moment that I will never forget. I will always know that expressing my unapologetic love for my self, my body, my vulnerability, my journey, my dreams and my hustle is my ultimate power! I remember seeing Caroline Cossey (Tula) on the cover of Playboy, I told myself that one day I want to be like her. To now be a part of the ICONIC Playboy Family is a definite pinch me moment, as I think of that little Trans Filipina who grew up in the little alleys of Manila. Woah!!!! Thank you to all the trans models who paved the way for me @carolinecossey , @cnngrldsgn , Lea Super Sireyna, @thelaurenfoster , @crimsonaamistad , @therealtraceyafrica and to my Playmate sis @supa_ines , bisous mon amour 💋. Keep Dreaming, Keep Loving, Keep Hustling! Massive love to photographer @wiissa0 HMU @yomatisse , the whole Playboy Fam for the magical shoot in Costa Rica! @Playboy Magazine available in newsstands and digital download on June 18! Tag me when you get your copies 😉❤️

A post shared by GeenaRocero (@geenarocero) on Jun 11, 2019 at 12:01pm PDT

She told Out.com that she hopes to inspire others to achieve their dreams too.

“I feel that I’m making it possible for someone to reach for their biggest dreams just like the people who came before me,” she said. “I also hope that for anyone who’s been deemed ‘other’ to know what makes you different is your power, especially the unapologetic expression of your sexuality, gender, and the value of your unique perspective.”

In Playboy’s June edition, she said, “I became … a transgender Tyra Banks, because I believe telling stories through the lens of the transgender experience speaks louder than statistics.”