Rikkie Valerie Kolle made history at the Miss Universe Netherlands pageant as its first transgender winner.
Rikkie Valerie from Breda in the South Netherlands clinched the title after competing on 9 July and was crowned by predecessor Ona Moody and the current Miss Universe, US contestant R’Bonney Gabriel.
In her entry profile, the 22-year-old model talked about what it meant for her as a member of the trans community, saying she aimed to be “a voice and role model.”
“When I was little Rik and came out as transgender, it wasn’t easy for everyone and I also suffered from it,” she added: “Through my commitment and strength, I hope to bring about change in society.”
The win means Rikkie Valerie Kolle will go on to compete against 24 others in the Miss Universe 2023 competition in December, which will take place in El Salvador.
Transgender contestants have been allowed to take part in the competition since 2012, and Rikkie Valerie is the second transgender woman to compete in Miss Universe after Angela Ponce from Spain, who qualified for the global part of the competition in 2018.
In celebration of her win, Rikkie Valeries shared a picture of her crowning moment, wearing a floor-length, corseted red gown and her sash, while her competitors clap and cheer.
In the caption she starts: “I DID IT” in English, before continuing in Dutch: “It’s unreal but I can call myself @missnederland 2023. It was an educational and wonderful process, my year can’t go wrong anymore. I am so proud and happy I can’t describe it with.”
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She added: “I made my community proud and showed it can be done.????️⚧️ And yes I am a trans woman and I would like to share my story, but I am also Rikkie and that is what counts for me. I did this on my own strength and enjoyed every moment. ❤️
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