Geena Rocero

Model, activist, and Playmate, Geena Rocero is a dreamer and beautiful soul. Coming to New York City from the Philippines as a teenager, Geena always had big dreams for herself, but never imaged Playboy to be one of them. “To play a part in Playboy’s history…I mean, it gives me goosebumps right now saying it because I was just that young trans girl growing up in the Philippines,” she begins. “I had a big dream of wanting to do something, of wanting to see the world. Just imagine: an immigrant, a young trans girl trying to grapple with her identity, and then with a new culture and a language barrier. It was a complete shock,” she explains. Though this was the case, Geena continued modeling and found self-love within her career. “When I started modeling I began to realize the power in loving my body. But after eight years I started to feel a sense of shame, and the pressure of withholding the truth became insurmountable,” she says. “At the time it was not allowed to be out and proud and a fashion model even.” It was in 2014 when Geena decided to share her journey to the world through her viral TED talk. Since then, she has become an activist for trans people throughout the world with her advocacy platform, Gender Proud and her work as a producer. “I became, I guess, a transgender Tyra Banks,” she says. “For so long, trans people have not been in charge of our own stories. Obviously, this is who we are. This is our lived experience. It’s not up for debate.” See more of the remarkable and inspiring, Geena, right here on Playboy Plus!