Transgender Contestant Crowned Miss Netherlands
Although the realm of women’s sports has received most of the attention, this is not the only arena in which transgender competitors are replacing their biologically female counterparts.
In the recent Miss Netherlands beauty pageant, a transgender contestant emerged as the winner, marking the first time on record that a biological male has won the crown. Rikkie Valerie Kolle, 22, will not go on to compete against pageant winners from around the world in the 72nd Miss Universe contest to be held later this year in El Salvador.
The unorthodox victory sparked some social media debate with many people arguing that individuals who were born male should not be allowed to compete in the competition and others heralding Kolle’s win as a victory for LGBT rights.
Kolle has weighed in frequently on social media, including in an Instagram post declaring that gender transition surgery essentially erased years of living as a male.
“Hey darlings, as you know, I proudly admit that I wasn’t born as the woman I wanted to be, but I have developed myself into the woman I am,” Kolle wrote in one Instagram post, as translated into English. “Over four months ago, I had my surgery. For ME, it completed the circle and brought me happiness.”
In a subsequent post, Kolle reiterated a belief that biological males can completely transition to become women, writing: “As a woman I often doubted to make certain choices because I already thought further than just looking nice. We live in one community where everyone has an opinion and is happy to share it, positive or negative. Today I say no to that! I’m sitting here as a proud woman in lingerie, and what people think of that is not what moves me forward, the best choice you can make is to embrace yourself and let them talk. Feel confident and especially feel yourself, rock that body and feel safe.”
In 2018, Miss Spain Angela Ponce became the first transgender contestant to compete in the Miss Universe pageant, failing to advance to the final round.
Transgender models were first admitted into the global pageant franchise in 2012, when former President Donald Trump owned the Miss Universe brand and responded to a lawsuit in Canada by opening up the contest to biological males.
