Miss Universe Pageant Featured Two Trans Competitors

The Miss Universe competition is welcoming to transgender contestants and their supporters. This year, two transgender competitors, Miss Netherlands and Miss Portugal, will compete alongside 88 other women, aiming for the prestigious crown.

Two transgender individuals from the Netherlands and Portugal are present at the contest.

Marina Machete made history by becoming the first transgender woman to win Miss Portugal last week. She shares the stage with Rikkie Valerie Kollé, who also achieved a significant milestone as the first transgender woman to win Miss Netherlands in July.

Both of them competed for the Miss Universe crown on November 18th in El Salvador. The event featured a total of 90 women from various countries around the world.

The first transgender woman took part in Miss Universe in 2018.

Miss Universe began allowing transgender women to compete in 2012. In 2018, Angela Ponce made history by becoming the first transgender woman to compete after being crowned Miss Spain.

In 2021, Kataluna Enriquez achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first transgender woman to participate in the Miss USA pageant. She earned the title of Miss Nevada, although she did not go on to compete in that year’s Miss Universe pageant.

In February, Daniela Arroyo González marked another important moment by becoming the first transgender woman to compete in Miss Universe Puerto Rico. She finished among the top 10 finalists, as reported on her Instagram.

Transgender women participating in beauty pageants still spark debates.

Their victories have sparked a considerable online backlash regarding the participation of transgender women in women’s events, igniting a deeply polarizing issue.

After Machete’s victory, one individual criticized the pageant organizers in Portugal for allowing a transgender woman to compete: “What’s the point of having an all-female pageant where they let people of the other sex compete? Shouldn’t they change the name of the contest? Do you think they devalued the woman (sic) at this point? Really you guys should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Another person expressed their discontent with her participation in the pageant: “Sad for real women everywhere! Also sad that the only way you can win a contest is to pretend to be somebody you’re not.”
Despite the backlash, Kollé receives a lot of support from fans, and she aims to make her community proud of her.

The inclusion of transgender women in Miss Universe is a momentous step forward, challenging societal norms and fostering acceptance. Join us in our upcoming article as we unveil the stories of 10 celebrities whose lives blossomed after changing their gender.