The newly crowned Miss Netherlands, who has become the first transgender woman to represent the country, has spoken out about her competitors' reactions to her win.

Rikkie Valerie Kollé made history over the weekend after being awarded the prestigious crown and is now looking to secure the ultimate victory at the Miss Universe competition in El Salvador in December.

That competition will also mark a massive milestone for the 22-year-old as she will become the second openly transgender person to ever compete in the pageant following Angela Ponce's historic appearance at the 2018 event.

Speaking to Newsweek about her win on Saturday, Kollé described it as "spectacular."

"It was a spectacular moment for me, I was in full disbelief when I was crowned Miss Universe Netherlands as the first transgender woman, ever," she said. "I'm proud of that and the night was amazing."

When asked why she joined the Miss Netherlands competition, she said it was because it "gives you an opportunity to speak and use your voice."

"You can talk about what you want to change in society or what you think you can offer," she told the outlet.

The beauty queen also expressed her love for her queer friends as another reason why she wanted to compete.

"Let's make my Queer community proud by doing this," Kollé said.

However, despite her win, the backlash she received after the show reached a whole new level, with some even going as far as wishing death upon the star.

"They see us as monsters, and my daily DMs are full of people wishing me dead," she explained. "Wishing me dead and telling me to [end my life], those things are terrible to write, but at the same it's only lifting me up because I get a bigger platform than I could ever dream of."

"The only thing I want to say to the haters is 'thank you, because you're giving me a bigger platform than I can ever imagine," she added.

While the 22-year-old has been revelling in her newfound success, she has been pondering on one thing.

After developing some close friendships while competing in the pageant, she expected to at least get a message or two from her fellow contenders, but she didn't.

"I thought we were a group and bonded after a few months, but after I won I did not get a message from every contestant and that made me really sad because I thought we were a group and doing this together," Kollé told the outlet of the frosty reception.

"Some did not even say congratulations, and it shocked me because I did not expect that," she added.

So what's next for the star?

Kollé has shifted her focus towards medical care for the community after recognizing that there is still a major issue when it comes to transgender people accessing gender-affirming health care.

"I want to speak up for the trans people who need it, as a little kid I didn't have someone to look up to. I really want to be that role model and inspiration for others," she said.

"I also want to do something [for] the trans health-care waiting list... the lists are really, really long. And that needs to change because people need to get help as soon as they can because it's a necessary thing [for people's mental health]."

Congratulations to the star, we can't wait to see her compete in the upcoming Miss Universe pageant.

Featured Image Credit: Eva-Katalin/Getty

Making a remarkable stride in pageant history, Dutch model Rikkie Valerie Kollé has been crowned Miss Universe Netherlands, becoming the first transgender woman to bag the prestigious title.

The Miss Nederland organization made the announcement this past Saturday. The crowning ceremony was graced by notable figures, including Miss Netherlands 2022, Ona Moody, and reigning Miss Universe, R’Bonney Gabriel from the USA.

Taking the first runner-up spot was Nathalie Mogbelzada hailing from Amsterdam, while Habiba Mostafa walked away with the Miss Congeniality award. Lou Dirchs also gained recognition as Miss Social Media.

Kollé now stands as the second transgender woman to grace the global stage of Miss Universe, following in the footsteps of Spain’s Angela Ponce, who competed in 2018. Since 2012, the pageant's parent organization has opened its doors to transgender women, fostering a more inclusive space.

Angela Ponce. Credit: FOX / Getty

Previously known for her appearance on Holland’s Next Top Model, the model and actress took to Instagram, expressing her joy in her native Dutch language. "It’s unreal but I can call myself @missnederland 2023," wrote Kollé. "It was an educational and wonderful process, my year can’t go wrong anymore."

Overflowing with pride, she continued, "I am so proud and happy I can’t describe it. I made my community proud and showed it can be done." Her heartfelt thanks extended to the judges, fellow finalists, family, and friends.

Speaking to her fans, Kollé shared, "And wherever you are in the world, I want to be there for you and be the example that I myself missed as a little me. On to many more adventures, let’s get @missuniverse ready. So excited!!!"

After her groundbreaking achievement as the first transgender winner of Miss Universe Netherlands, Kollé is set to join the international Miss Universe competition slated to take place later this year in El Salvador.

Anne Jakrajutatip, a Thai businesswoman and a proud transgender woman herself, took ownership of the esteemed Miss Universe organization back in October 2022. The pageant system was previously under the helm of the former US president, Donald Trump.

Embarking on her journey as the new owner, Jakrajutatip is set on continuing the pageant's long-standing legacy of championing women's empowerment. She seeks to "evolve the brand for the next generation," ensuring that it continues to be a platform that celebrates diversity and inclusivity.

In an instance that marks a significant stride towards this mission, the Puerto Rico competition welcomed an openly transgender contestant earlier this year. Daniela Arroyo González was selected to compete, further exemplifying the evolving landscape of beauty pageants globally. With these changes, the Miss Universe organization continues to be a beacon for progress and acceptance in the world of beauty pageants.

In a significant shift in its regulations, the Miss Universe Organization announced last year that the 2023 competition would, for the first time, welcome married women and women with children to compete, further broadening its inclusivity.

Featured image credit: Noam Galai / Getty

Beauty pageants are pretty divisive. Some folk think they're just harmless good fun, while others regard them as being sexist and patronising festivals that only serve to objectify women. However, there's no denying that the big beauty pageants, such as Miss World and Miss Universe to name but two, can often be a useful platform for young women to discuss the political and social issues that they don't think get enough press attention.

For instance, this year the Miss Universe competitor for Spain is a trans woman named Angela Ponce, who is hoping to win Miss Universe 2018 and draw more attention to LGBT+ issues.  The Hispanic beauty queen is the first transgender contestant in the pageant's 66-year history, and the first transgender woman to ever be crowned Miss Spain. She's currently over in Bangkok in Thailand, and some online bookmakers have declared her the odds-on front-runner for the December 17 contest.

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In a recent interview with Time magazine concerning her remarkable success, Ponce stated: "I’m competing because it’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was a little girl. I’m showing that trans women can be whatever they want to be: a teacher, a mother, a doctor, a politician and even Miss Universe ... I like to think that most people who don’t understand me, it’s not because they’re bad people. It’s because no one taught them about diversity. What you don’t talk about doesn’t exist—even though trans people have been here since there were people on earth."

She added: "At school, no one knew what to make of me. It was hard. But school is like that for many people: other kids got picked on for their weight or because they wore glasses. Spain is actually a leader on gender issues; we’re one of the best countries in the world in terms of female representation at the top of politics. But there’s a way to go: transgender people still don’t have a legal right to their identity until they’re 18."

Ponce also boasts a significant social media presence, with over 440,000 followers on Instagram. After winning the Miss Universe contest in Spain in June of this year, Ponce took to the image-sharing site to write: "Bringing the name and colours of Spain before the universe is my great dream. My goal is to be a spokesperson for a message of inclusion, respect and diversity not only for the LGBTQ+ community but also for the entire world."

Miss Universe rules formerly prohibited transgender women from competing in the competition. However, the regulations surrounding trans representation in the pageant were changed in 2012, after Canadian model Jenna Talackova successfully sued Miss Universe Canada organisers for initially disqualifying her on discriminatory grounds.

Personally, I'm really hopeful that Angela will manage to secure the crown for herself. What a great step forward for civil rights would a result like that be?

Grab some balut, hop in a jeepney and pull out your barrel man, because Miss Philippines just won the 2018 Miss Universe pageant! Catriona Gray, 24, became the fourth Filipina woman to receive the prestigious crown, defeating Miss South Africa and Miss Venezuela in the final round. It's a huge victory for the poverty-stricken country, which often makes the news for its devastating war on drugs. (And not for its beautiful beaches, mountains and rice terraces.)

In the final round, Gray wore a glittering red dress inspired by the volcano near her home, and described her experience working with children in the slums of Manila. She admitted "the life there is very poor and very sad," but she learned how to look for a silver lining. Gray said if she should teach people to be more grateful,  "we could have an amazing world where negativity could not grow and foster, and children would have a smile on their face."

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Some people criticize beauty pageants for objectifying women and reinforcing impossible beauty standards. However, the ceremonies can also have a positive impact, drawing attention to important issues. This year's trailblazing pageant made history by featuring the transgender candidate.

"I'm competing because it's what I've wanted to do since I was a little girl," Angela Ponce, aka Miss Spain, told Time ahead of the competition. "I'm showing that trans women can be whatever they want to be: a teacher, a mother, a doctor, a politician and even Miss Universe."

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Although Ponce was considered the surprise front-runner, she did not place within the top 20. However, Miss Universe honored the first-ever transgender contestant with an emotional tribute. During the live competition in Bangkok, Thailand, she appeared in a special segment that received massive applause from the audience.

My hope is for tomorrow to be able to live in a world of equality for everyone, simply for us all to understand that we are human and we must make all our lives easier together," stated Ponce. "If I can give that to the world, I don't need to win Miss Universe, I only need to be here." On social media, people praised Miss Universe for celebrating praising diversity, and bringing attention to LGBTQ issues.

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But not all the coverage was positive. Miss USA, Sarah Rose Summers, sparked an online backlash after appearing to mock non-English speaking contestants. In a live Instagram video, the 24-year-old said that Miss Vietnam, H'Hen Nie, is "So cute and she pretends to know so much English and then you ask her a question after having a whole conversation with her and she [nods and smiles]."

Later on in the clip, Summers expressed sympathy for Miss Cambodia, Rern Sinat. "[She doesn't speak any English and not a single other person speaks her language," asserted Summers "Can you imagine? Francesca [Miss Australia] said that would be so isolating and I said yes and just confusing all the time. Poor Cambodia."

After getting called out for sounding "xenophobic" and "condescending," the Nebraska beauty issued an apology: "In a moment where I intended to admire the courage of a few of my sisters, I said something that I now realize can be perceived as not respectful, and I apologize," said Summers.

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Hopefully Miss USA's faux pas will not overshadow Miss Spain's historic inclusion, or Miss Philippines' stunning victory. After the coronation, Gray told reporters, "When I was 13 years old, my mother told me, ‘I had a dream that you were in Miss Universe, and you won in a red dress.’" Sometimes dreams come true.

It's fair to say that Miss Universe 2018 is looking like a historic one. This year, the competitor representing Spain is a trans woman named Angela Ponce, who is hoping to use the pageant as a platform to draw attention to LGBT+ issues.

The Hispanic beauty queen is the first transgender contestant in the pageant's 66-year history, and is now over in Bangkok, Thailand, with the other contestants. Many people were hoping she could win it, and at one point bookmakers declared her the odds-on front-runner.

The rules of Miss Universe formerly prohibited transgender women from competing in the competition, but the regulations surrounding trans representation were changed in 2012, after Canadian model Jenna Talackova successfully sued Miss Universe Canada organisers for disqualifying her on discriminatory grounds.

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Unfortunately, Angela Ponce didn't make it to the top 20 after all. However, she was honoured with a special segment during the live competition in Bangkok, Thailand, and was greeted with applause by the audience.

In the segment, she stated: "My hope is for tomorrow to be able to live in a world of equality for everyone, simply for us all to understand that we are human and we must make all our lives easier together. If I can give that to the world, I don't need to win Miss Universe, I only need to be here."

On social media, the reaction to Ponce has been largely positive. One Twitter user wrote: "They dedicated a special segment for Angela Ponce to acknowledge her, and recognize her representation. She is a woman, and in the eyes of the universe, she will always be a woman. I'm so emotional right now. You made your community proud, Miss Spain! #MissUniverse. [sic]"

Another person added: "I LOVE MISS UNIVERSE for celebrating diversity, highlighting the incredible journey of the first Transgender woman vying for the title, Miss Universe Spain, Angela Ponce. The definition of beauty has come a long way. It is a very strong, clear and loud message of equality. [sic]" 

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In a recent interview with Time, Ponce claimed: "I’m competing because it’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was a little girl. I’m showing that trans women can be whatever they want to be: a teacher, a mother, a doctor, a politician and even Miss Universe ... I like to think that most people who don’t understand me, it’s not because they’re bad people. It’s because no one taught them about diversity. What you don’t talk about doesn’t exist—even though trans people have been here since there were people on earth."

She added: "At school, no one knew what to make of me. It was hard. But school is like that for many people: other kids got picked on for their weight or because they wore glasses. Spain is actually a leader on gender issues; we’re one of the best countries in the world in terms of female representation at the top of politics. But there’s a way to go: transgender people still don’t have a legal right to their identity until they’re 18."

Unfortunately, Miss Universe 2018 has proven to be controversial, after Miss USA was filmed mocking Miss Vietnam and Miss Cambodia for being unable to speak English.