A transgender woman was crowned Miss Universe Netherlands for the first time … making history in the Dutch country.
22-year-old Rikkie Valerie Kolle won the pageant Saturday — which effectively makes her Miss Netherlands … and which will send her on to compete in the upcoming Miss Universe competition later this year … where women from all over the world will fight for the crown.
The last Miss Netherlands, Ona Moody, and reigning Miss Universe R’Bonney Gabriel (from USA) were on hand to give Kolle the big prize … everyone seemed stoked, RVK included.
Now, she’s on to the big show … which is going to be held in El Salvador in December. While she might be the first trans woman in the Netherlands to compete … she won’t be the first trans woman to vie for the Miss Universe title … Spain’s Angela Ponce did so in 2018.
More trans women have been competing in national Miss Universe pageants in recent years — in fact, the new owner of the Miss Universe org — Anne Jakrajutatip — is transgender herself.
Kolle herself seemed ecstatic after the fact, taking to social media to write … “I DID IT,” and continuing to say she was excited to tackle Miss Universe in the coming months.