Playboy features its first transgender Playmate in revolutionary move but receives backlash within hours

For the first time in its 64-year history, Playboy will feature a transgender Playmate.

But while most are celebrating the revolutionary move, the magazine has revealed some of the backlash it received for the move within a matter of hours.

26-year-old French Model Ines Rau will appear as the centrefold for the magazine's November issue - the first since its founder Hugh Hefner's death last month.

Photographed by Derek Kettela, Rau shared the news with her Instagram followers by thanking the Hefner family 'for the compliment' and likened the moment she was approached for the shoot as being like 'getting a giant bouquet of roses'.

But the announcement was not without resistance. Made public by Playboy itself, a number of fans and subscribers have expressed negative opinions on the magazine's groundbreaking move.

With some arguing that "This isn't what Playboy is about" and suggesting the magazine is "cowering to political correctness", one even likened seeing a transgender model in the magazine to reading "an article about horses in a fishing magazine."

One reader promised to unsubscribe from the magazine due to it's inclusion of Rau.

Acknowledging this feedback Cooper Hefner, son of Hugh and Chief Creative Officer at Playboy, tweeted: "We should collectively be fighting for a more open world, not one that promotes hatred and a lack of acceptance."

But public reaction has been largely positive, with the magazine also publishing feedback calling the movement "beautiful to see".

While breaking ground becoming an official 'Playmate' of the brand's, it is not the first time she has posed for Playboy.

Starring in a shoot for the magazine's May 2014 special edition, Rau told Playboy "It's how I celebrated my coming out, actually. I took that chance, and then I signed with an agency."

The 26-year-old has since starred in a Balmain campaign and walked in runway shows all over the world.