Every year, women compete to become Miss Universe. According to the Miss Universe website, the organisation's goal is to be inclusive and celebrate all cultures, backgrounds and religions from around the globe.
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The representatives of each country ‘serve as inspirational leaders’ and are ‘role models to their communities’.
The Netherlands has just had their annual Miss Netherlands beauty pageant to crown the woman that will represent their country during this year’s Miss Universe. This year, The Netherlands’ representative made history!
Rikkie Valerie Kollé is the first trans winner of Miss Universe Netherlands
Rikkie Valerie Kollé is this year’s winner of Miss Universe Netherlands. Mark your history books as she has become the first trans model to win the beauty pageant in The Netherlands.
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Kollé isn’t, however, the first ever trans model to compete in Miss Universe. Indeed, Spain’s representative in 2018, Angela Ponce is trans. Ponce didn’t win that year. Trans women have been allowed to compete since 2012.
Miss Universe made even more changes to their rules and will now be allowed married women and women who have had children to compete in the beauty pageant.
Who is Rikke Valerie Kollé?
Rikkie Valerie Kollé is 22 years old and currently living in Breda, Netherlands. She is Dutch and is of Moluccan descent, which is an indigenous group from the Maluku Islands in Indonesia.
Rikkie wants to become a voice and role model for the Queer community and plans to dedicate her life and career to ‘helping those who have faced rejection from their families during their transition process’ as reported by World 360 News.
According to her Instagram, the 22-year-old is a model and actress, who already has quite a following on social media with over 29K followers.
The internet isn’t happy with The Netherlands’ choice
As can be expected, some people on the internet are not happy that a trans model has won a ‘woman’s beauty pangeant’. The main argument of those that aren’t happy is that Kollé is a ‘man’ and therefore, she shouldn’t have won a contest designed for women.
Many took to Kollé’s Instagram post to share their transphobic views. One user wrote:
You're a dude. You are erasing biological women.
While another added:
Well done. A man just stole the first place of a woman and gets applause for it. Full circle, we just killed 200 years of work of women who fought for equality.
Read more: Pride month: The LGBTQIA+ flag has changed since it was first created, here's why
Another wrote:
Shame on you for taking opportunities from real women
Despite the harsh comments, many have also shown their support for Kollé and shared their love on her Instagram too. One user wrote:
Imagine feeling threatened by Trans women because your own femininity is so fragile 🤐 I support ALL women ❤️👏🏻
Another added:
Congratulations Beautiful!!!!! ❤️❤️🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️
Another fan wrote:
Ignore all the negative comments! We are so proud of you 🥳and believe in you!
1st 👑 claimed..
We are rooting for you to claim the @missuniverse 👑🏳️⚧️💗
While another added:
Congratulations queen ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Keep shining beauty, and screw anyone that's trying to rain on your parade. Your victory is yours and no one can take that away from you. 💛💛💛💛
Sources used:
World 360 News: ‘Rikkie Valerie Kollé is CROWNED Miss Universe Netherlands 2023’
Opoyi: ‘Who is Rikkie Valerie Kollé?’
HuffPost: ‘Miss Universe Netherlands Crowns Trans Woman Rikkie Valerie Kollé’
The Messenger Entertainment: ‘Trans Model Makes History With Miss Universe Pageant Win’
