On July 8, Rikkie Valerie Kolle was named Miss Netherlandsbecoming the first transgender woman to win the title, according to media reports.
Kolle will now advance to represent her homeland at the 72nd Miss Universe pageant, set to take place in El Salvador later this year.
"I DID IT !!!!!" the Dutch/Indigenous Moluccan model said in a post on Instagram, per NPR. "Yes I'm trans and I want to share my story but I'm also Rikkie and that's what matters to me," Kolle wrote. "And wherever you are in the world, I want to be there for you and be the example that I missed as a little me."
She also said in a separate post that the Miss Universe program asked contestants to describe themselves in one word (before the pageant). Kolle chose "victory," adding, "Never forget that we can do this together, you're not alone on this planet. Never stop dreaming of being your ultimate and confident YOU!"
However, Kolle will not be the first trans woman to compete for the Miss Universe crown. Angela Ponce became the pageant's first out trans contestant when she represented Spain in 2018six years after the competition allowed transgender women to compete. However, if Kolle wins, she would be the first out trans woman to do so.
Andrew Davis