Trans Miss Netherlands Makes History, Brushes Off Haters

The newly crowned Miss Netherlands, Rikkie Valerie Kollé – who made history as the first trans woman to win the 94-year-old beauty pageant – was a target of transphobia and hate even before she won the title. But when she took the crown on July 8, trolls intensified their attacks and "bombarded" Kollé with "hate online," according to Reuters.

Kollé's victory "means the 22-year-old will be the second openly trans competitor to take part in Miss Universe in December this year," BBC noted. A win at that pageant would mean making history twice, as no transgender woman has yet won Miss Universe.

The win also means that Kollé has a larger platform from which to educate and enlighten.

"As the first trans woman to be named Miss Netherlands, Ms. Kollé said she hoped to be there for her community and help young queer people, as well as raise awareness of the long waiting times for transgender health care in the Netherlands," the New York Times relayed in a profile on the Miss Netherlands winner.

"'I'm going to be an open book,' she said. In February, a post on her Instagram account outlined her experiences as a child and her treatments as a teenager as well as an update about her gender-transition surgery."

"But being an open book on social media comes with a lot of hate, too, and avoiding online negativity can be difficult," the Times added. "Ms. Kollé said she had faced a lot of online abuse and insults since winning the pageant, as had some of her close family members, including her mother and sister."

But poise and grace in the face of hate make for a powerful statement, and if those qualities are part of the winning equation, then Kollé might well prevail at the Miss Universe pageant, which will take place in El Salvador.

To be sure, the hate Kollé has faced hasn't slowed her down. Instead, while transphobic trolls lost their minds, Kollé kept a cool head – and stayed grateful. The beauty queen recounted that her "journey started as a super insecure little boy" that "always got the support around me from my family and my friends and my chosen queer family," the BBC recounted. "I know a lot of people don't have that."

Having won the title, "I'm standing here as a strong and empowering and confident woman. I'm really proud of that," Kollé said.

Kollé related how she brushed the trolls aside while on her way to winning the national title. "They told me 'she's a pretty girl but she [can't] go to the trans pageantry because it is for real women,'" Kollé recalled. "So then I'm like 'OK you're calling me a pretty girl, but also telling me that I'm not a real woman.'"

The newly minted Miss Netherlands went on to say that even in her own country, "I also got a lot of backlash." That, she said, illustrates how "we're still not there in the Netherlands, and that the inclusivity is on the bare minimum now." But, she added, "it only gives me more inspiration to step up my goals and to achieve what I want to do now."

Still, the beauty champion took a moment to thank those who hurled transphobia her way, saying that the hateful negativity "only gives me more inspiration to step up my goals and to achieve what I want to do now."

Or, as Kollé told Reuters: "I just want to show the world Rikkie and of course my trans story, and being backlashed for that is really sad."

CNN noted that the Miss Universe "pageant has allowed trans participants since 2012, and in 2018, Ángela Ponce from Spain became the pageant's first out contestant, but she did not advance to the finals."

"Next month, activist Daniela Arroyo González will also look to make history as the first out trans woman to win Miss Universe Puerto Rico, and will advance to Miss Universe as well if crowned," CNN went on to add. "This year, 90 women from around the world will compete in the 2023 pageant, according to its website."