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The upcoming Miss Universe competition will mark a historic moment as it includes a minimum of two transgender contestants for the very first time.
Last week, 23-year-old flight attendant Marina Machete was crowned Miss Portugal. Additionally, Rikkie Kollé made history in July by becoming the first transgender winner of Miss Netherlands. Machete and Rikkie Kollé will both be competing for the coveted title at the 72nd Miss Universe event, scheduled to take place in El Salvador this November.
In a video shared on the Portuguese pageant’s YouTube channel before the competition, Machete discussed trans rights as a central part of her platform. She expressed concern about the increasing levels of “transphobia and intolerance” on a global scale. She also found it “heartwarming” to witness the Miss Universe Organization’s commitment to inclusivity and its willingness to “break boundaries” by changing its rules to allow transgender contestants back in 2012.
“Trans women are women, full stop,” the organization said. “We are here to celebrate women, full stop. This has been true for more than a decade. We’re proud to have made this change very early on, compared to other programs.”
Should either of these candidates win, they will make history as the first transgender women to wear the coveted tiara. It’s worth noting that in 2018, Spain’s Ángela Ponce made strides as the pageant’s first transgender contestant. However, she did not progress to the finals.
The organization reversed its ban on transgender contestants following an incident involving Jenna Talackova, a transgender competitor in the Miss Universe Canada national pageant. Organizers had initially informed her that she would be disqualified due to her gender-affirming surgery, which did not meet the pageant’s requirements. At that time, Miss Universe officials said the change was not a response to legal action threatened by Talackova’s attorney.
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