Miss Netherlands makes history crowning first trans winner

Rikkie Valerie Kollé has been crowned Miss Netherlands 2023, making history as the first openly trans woman to ever take home the crown.

Wearing a floor-length red gown with a thigh-high slit, Kollé, 22, won the beauty pageant on Saturday and will compete in Miss Universe later this year in El Salvador.

Previous winner Ona Moody and reigning Miss Universe, R’Bonney Gabriel of the US, handed Kollé the coveted sash at the AFAS Theater in Leusden.

Kollé, from Breda, a city in the North Brabant province, cliched the title after impressing the jury with her ‘iron strong story’ and ‘clear mission’.

‘I did it!’ the model wrote on Instagram after becoming the first openly trans Miss Netherlands in the competition’s 94-year history.

‘It’s unreal but I get to call myself [Miss Netherlands] 2023. It was an educational and beautiful journey, my year can’t be broken anymore.

‘I’m so proud and happy I can’t even describe it. Making my community proud and showing it can be done.

‘And yes I’m trans and I want to share my story but I’m also Rikkie and that’s what matters to me.

‘I did this on my own strength and enjoyed every moment.’

The organisers of Miss Netherlands added on Instagram: ‘The jury report reads: This finalist shined throughout the show and has also made the greatest progress along the way.

‘She has an iron-strong story with a clear mission.’

Kollé will soon become the second trans woman to compete in Miss Universe, one of the world’s top international beauty pageants, after Spanish model Ángela Ponce in 2018.

The competition is operated by the Miss Universe Organization.

From 1996 to 2015, Donald Trump co-owned the Miss Universe Organization, which also included the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants.

Trans women were banned from competing until 2012.

But one of the world’s richest trans women, media titan Jakapong Jakrajutatip, bought the Miss Universe franchise in 2022.

Jakrajutatip is the CEO of JKN Global Group, a sprawling Thai conglomerate which owns the franchise, as well as the founder of Life Inspired for Transsexuals Foundation (LIFT), a trans rights charity in Thailand.

At the 71st Miss Universe pageant in January, Jakrajutatip reflected on being the franchise’s first female owner in its decades-long history.

‘From now on it’s gonna be run by women, owned by a trans woman,’ she said, ‘for all women around the world to celebrate the power of feminism.’

For Kollé, this is something she is keen to do, too.

In her entry profile, she said she aimed to be ‘a voice and role model’ for trans women.

‘When I was little Rik and came out as transgender, it wasn’t easy for everyone and I also suffered from it,’ she said.

‘Through my commitment and strength,’ Kollé added, ‘I hope to bring about change in society.’

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