(Photo Credits: Screengrab from Bretman Rock’s Official Instagram Account)
Bretman Rock is Playboy magazine’s October 2021 digital issue’s Da Baddest Bunny.
The 23-year-old Filipino-American beauty influencer broke the news to his fans through his Instagram account with pictures of him sporting a black corset, tights, a bow tie, in high heels, with the bunny ears to complete his outfit. The caption of his announcement post reads: “I’m a BUNNY duh!!”
Although over 2.1 million people liked the post, Bretman was also inundated with homophobic and hate messages alike. Some of them were about how they cancelled their subscription to Playboy because men, and gay men at that, don’t belong on the cover of Playboy – that it was wrong, sickening, and ridiculous. Bretman was unfazed and he reacted by posting more pictures from the shoot instead.
Meanwhile, he was quoted as saying on Playboy’s official Instagram page: “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.”
Bretman already worked with Playboy earlier this year and released an original limited-edition t-shirt for Pride Month celebration. According to Bretman, the proceeds of the products went to “@aplahealth in support of their mission to achieve health care equity among the LGBTQIA+ and other underserved communities especially those living with and affected by HIV.”
Bretman made history as the first openly gay man to ever grace the cover of Playboy magazine.
He is not the first male to be on the cover per se, nor was he the first guy to don the bunny suit. He follows stars the likes of Steve Martin, Ezra Miller, and Paul Rudd. But he is reportedly “the first male star of Playboy’s golden legacy to wear the suit specifically for a cover.”
Playboy magazine said, “Although he isn’t the first male-identifying star to wear the suit, he’s in good company: Steve Martin, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd, Johnny Carson, Burt Reynolds, and Flip Wilson have all borrowed elements of the trademarked costume, some even going as far as to wear the full suit.”
Congratulations, Bretman Rock!
The hilarity of so many of you. It's a cover of a magazine. Take a deep breath… peeps still be dying. Skip the issue if you need and get on with life… Ps u look absolutely mint @bretmanrock, props @playboy 🔥😎💯
— Paul Malek (@paulmalek) October 5, 2021
Congratulations, Bretman!
— bruce (@LadenbeatUS) October 5, 2021
Conservatives complained about Marilyn Monroe, too.
What is the purpose of this? I’m all for inclusion and being woke or whatever, but, this is just too much. I was an avid “reader” I’d maybe cancel my subscription too. A definite low point for a legendary-but-not-really-still-relevant rag.
I agree, how PC. You only get to shove so much into someone’s face before you get blowback. We can’t just let the public to adjust to things slowly like declassifying being gay as a mental illness, gays in the military or gay marriage. With the hardcore activists it’s always push, push, push and I can tell you this is not playing well in Peoria. Even as a gay man I get as sick of the avent-garde of extreme liberalism as I do the idiots in the Trump camp. This fembot does not represent me. I find gay men behaving… Read more »
Retrack your claws kitty, cuz shit like this will blow this already fragile country apart. I agreed with you up to this point. You make it sound as if the divisions in this country are the fault of the LGBT community. That we’re the problem because we assert our rights as equals. I abhor Bretman Rock dressed in a bunny suit on the cover of Playboy. But, that’s his right. If anyone is breaking this country apart, it is the people who are using the “culture wars” to maintain their centuries of religious dominance over anyone who isn’t a straight… Read more »
why do we need this?
I would be elated if this fine young man and I’m sure he is, was wearing a nice fitted man’s tux and nice black men shoes. To see a gay man on the cover of playboy is a testament of how far we come. I’m a firm believer in men should be men no matter what his sexual orientation is. Wear men clothes and dress like men dudes. Leave that make-up, fingernail polish, high heels stuff to women men.
You’re totally on point, Marcus. Why doesn’t The Community also promote gay guys who wear flannel shirts or business suits or uniforms or polos or construction gear? Oh gee .. how about images of Average Joe guys?
As I attempted to reply, that garners no attention for the flamin gays
And this is how the straight community see the gay community
Sadly, I kind of have to take a stand with the straight guys on this one. I just don’t understand why there is a gay man on the cover of Playboy. I was under the impression that this famous magazine has always specifically targeted straight men; and it’s sister magazine Playgirl always targeted straight women. Sooooo… I am baffled why they would put a gay man on the cover. It just doesn’t make sense.
I agree! I’m all for inclusion, but in the right spaces. We still need our safe spaces and that ‘str8 men’ Playboy magazine ain’t it. Yes it doesn’t make sense at all!
How wonderful for him on his accomplishment and all of the attention it’s bringing him!
How unfortunate for the legions of Gay men who do not fit the image he (and the Community) push into the media that Gay men are flamboyant, fem, bunny (fairy), cross-dressers.
Does it really need to be said that cis straight men aren’t sexually attracted to other men? (by definition)
It’s the same stupidity as straight women being on a4a or grindr.
I hate to be that guy in the community; I have to agree with the straight guys on this one. I don’t understand why a gay man is on the cover of Playboy. I genuinely can’t wrap my mind around why Playboy would want a gay man on the cover or why a gay man would want to be on the cover of Playboy. I thought the Playboy magazine has always targeted straight men (maybe lesbians also). The sister magazine Playgirl targets straight women (and let’s be honest, a gay man or two has picked up that one). Soooo… why?… Read more »
Sometimes, I think gay people just try TOO hard.
Playboy was established for men loving women. It’d be cool if it decided to expand to men loving anything they’d like to have sex with. Since they just haven’t announced that, the cover picture makes no sense.
Heff would never have done this
This woke nonsense is getting more ridiculous by the moment. Why would Playboy, a predominantly straight male porn publication, think that their readers would want to see a gay man on their cover or featured in their pages? It would be like putting a straight female on the cover of Inches or a gay male porn publication. We don’t want to see it and they don’t want to see it
Bravo, Bretman Rock.. Congrads with your appearance on Playboy..
You have more balls to do as you please..Keep on doing as you please..I have been doing as i like as a Openly gay Man most of my adult life..I use to tell guys at work..You don’t like my life style choice,Then kiss my hairy ass.
It isn’t about him doing as he pleases. It is more about WHY is he on the cover of a straight mag that caters to straight men in a Bunny outfit basically femmed out? Makes zero sense and just another reason for there to be backlash against the LGBT community. As many others have stated far better than I, it is about the context and place, not the act itself nor the person.
Apparently Liberal Elitists are so blinded by their virtue signaling wokeness, they don’t understand that flaming Heterosexual males find absolutely nothing sexually appealing about an obvious and admitted gay male dressed in women’s clothing and makeup. It’s actually quite hysterical they thought this was anywhere close to a good idea.
I feel this is TOO EXTRA for the lgbtq community..Women bodies in regular playboy magazines are beautiful… Playboy magazine are for heterosexual men ….a gay man posted on this issue of Playboy shouldn’t be glamorized tbh….the gay friendly magazines should post images like this and keep it there the woke Community needs to be recalibrated because of this kind of phenomenon….what next? Gay men getting pregnant…GOOD FUGGIN GRIEF!
I saw this yesterday evening, having had a few glasses of red-wine, it bothered me; didn’t want to say something that would be extreme, but damn, really?! I only know, that the mag is for hetero-men about hetero women, at least primarily isn’t it? It definitely, was a very poor decision in more ways than one. I mean, ‘if’ I were a totally hetero, this would really give me a seriously limp-dick in a fraction of sec., making me angry as hell. I just don’t understand, why do ‘we’ have to be pushing into these areas, especially, dressed like this.… Read more »
I agree in large part, but to play devil’s advocate I need to point out that Playboy and Penthouse always played to the the cross-dressing crowd, though never in an obvious way. The only 2 issues I ever bought were a Suzanne Somers pictorial from her pre-fame and the Vanessa Williams Penthouse issue. Yes, this was before the Kartrashians and the present generation of fame whores, but nonetheless these were the first time that a magazine had actual pop stars showing it all.. and then some. What I remember most was NOT the pictorials as much as the ads in… Read more »
It’s official! The world has gone to WOKE hell and Hugh Hefner is rolling in his grave.
A man dressed in a bunny outfit on the cover of Playboy is supposed to be a sign of what? Progress? Hardly. It just plays into stereotypes about gay men. The LGBT community has better representatives than this.