By Emily Gianni
Bretman Rock, a 23 year old Filipino influencer, just became the first openly gay male Playboy. Bretman Rock writes on Instagram, “For Playboy to have a male on the cover is a huge deal for the LGBT community, for my brown people community, and it’s all so surreal.” According to Playboy, Rock is not the first man to rock different parts of the iconic outfit. He wore the Playboy Bunny ears, neckties, and cuffs, which have also been worn by icons including Kate Moss and Dolly Parton. Rock also wore a black corset and black platform heels. Rock is the third male to appear solo on the cover of the men’s lifestyle and entertainment magazine.
This is super important to the LGBTQ+ community because it accelerates acceptance. This representation is a big step in the right direction for equality for the LGBTQ+ community. This is a powerful step for the ongoing movement towards greater diversity and inclusion in the fashion and modeling industry. By Bretman Rock being a Playboy, he is defying gender norms and using his social media platforms to inspire other LGBTQ+ members to follow their dreams in the underrepresented fashion and modeling industry.
Sadly, not all people are supportive of Rock being a Playboy. Some people claim that it is inappropriate for him to be featured. Others argue that it moves away from the publication’s intended purpose. Some people are playing with the Playboy word by changing it to ‘Playgay.’ Another person wrote, “Couldn’t they have just revived Playgirl and had him debut on the cover for that since target audience for Playboy is straight dudes who probably won’t take too kindly to seeing a man on the cover of Playboy.”
Although these negative comments may be hard to read, this digital magazine cover is doing an excellent job showing off appreciation for different diversities. Playboy is not just about showing off female bodies; instead, it is for showing off symbols of sexiness. Playboy will always be around to display representation. Times are changing, Playboy is realizing it, and people have to accept it and hopefully hop on board with the new times.