Miss Universe Netherlands has crowned its first ever transgender winner.
Rikki Valerie Kolle, 22, won the pageant on Sunday and will go on to compete in the Miss Universe competition later this year.
Kolle wore a floor-length red gown with a thigh-high slit at the ceremony, where she was given the crown by her predecessor, Ona Moody, and the current Miss Universe, US contestant R’Bonney Gabriel.
She will now compete against contestants from 24 other countries in the Miss Universe 2023 competition in El Salvador, which takes place in December.
Kolle will be the second transgender woman to take part in the MIss Universe pageant, after Spanish contestant Angela Ponce competed in 2018.
Transgender contestants have been allowed to take part in the competition since 2012.
On Instagram, Kolle expressed her delight at winning the pageant.
“I did it!,” she wrote 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.”
Kolle continued: “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.”
