Tyson Beckford and Ines Rau
Tyson Beckford posed for a series of raunchy photos with transgender model Ines Rau. Source: Instagram

Tyson Beckford has ignited debate over his sexuality after posing nude with transgender model Ines Rau.

The 42-year-old male model sent the internet into a frenzy by stripping down to his birthday suit for the X-rated editorial for OOB Magazine's 'Tropical Surrealism' spread.

In the black-and-white pictures by Rodolfo Martinez, the duo pose with nothing but skin between them.

One snap shows Rau with one hand on Beckford's shoulder while the other is resting on his backside. Beckford is turned away from the camera, revealing his bare back as she wraps her legs around his waist.

A number of other photographs depict the couple kissing and caressing each other.

"This is distasteful - it's not even art. Everybody isn't going to be down with the gay community. I feel that they are trying to make people feel guilty or bad for what they believe in," one unimpressed viewer said.

"I am sorry but I don't understand. Is this Tyson's coming out? They must be trying to make some sort of statement by using him, he is a well-known model."

According to Ines, her Instagram account almost got shut down after she shared the image with fans online.

"I'm not posting anything about it any more. You know where to see it," she said. "And I am taking a pause with Instagram for a little bit as they disabled it two times because of those pictures."

Although Beckford has not commented on the speculation surrounding his sexuality, he previously revealed that his notions of beauty had matured over the years.

"We spend so much time saying what beauty is, but no one really knows," he told Perth Now. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - always has been and always should be."