The 72nd Miss Universe pageant will feature two transgender contenders for the first time ever, in a historic move. Rikkie Kolle was crowned Miss Netherlands back in July, and 23-year-old flight attendant Marina Machete recently won the title of Miss Portugal.
Machete, a transsexual woman of 28 years old, has been employed as a professional flight attendant for five years. She discussed the difficulties she had as a trans woman and emphasised that love, especially from her family, had the upper hand over ignorance.
On the other side, Rikkie Kolle is a native of the Dutch city of Breda and has both Dutch and indigenous Moluccan ancestry. Kolle, who was born a biological man, has since transitioned and now serves as a role model and source of inspiration for young girls and the gay community. She wants to fight inequality and use her platform to empower others.
As an advocate for people's right to openly express their true identities without fear or restriction, Kolle's goal is to bring about societal change. She believes in the strength of community and wants her own story to encourage people to embrace who they really are.
If Kolle or Machete wins, the Miss Universe Organisation, which allowed transgender people to compete in 2012, would have its first trans woman winner. The company is proud of its early embrace of inclusive policies and firmly believes that all women, including trans women, deserve to be celebrated.Angela Ponce, who represented Spain in the 2018 Miss Universe competition and was the first transgender competitor, made history before Machete and Kolle.
It's interesting to note that transgender woman Anne Jakkapong Jakrajutatip is the owner of the Miss Universe Organisation. The transgender rights activist and Thai entrepreneur bought the group last year for $20 million, making her the first woman to hold ownership of the esteemed pageant.
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