Rikkie Valerie Kollé, the first trans Miss Netherlands, experienced shock when confronted with the responses she received from her fellow competitors.
After being crowned the winner of the Miss Netherlands beauty pageant on Saturday, July 9th, the 22-year-old now prepares to represent The Netherlands in the global Miss Universe competition, which will take place in El Salvador in December. While many celebrated her historic victory, it appears that not all of her fellow contestants shared the same enthusiasm.
Kollé took to Instagram to express her joy over her win, accompanied by a photo of her accepting the crown. She wrote, “I did it! It’s unreal, but I get to call myself @missnederland 2023. It was an educational and beautiful journey… I’m so proud and happy I can’t even describe it. Making my community proud and showing it can be done.”
She continued, “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 and loved every moment of it.” Kollé expressed her gratitude to the judges and extended her appreciation to her fellow finalists, emphasizing the unity they exhibited during the competition. She concluded her post by acknowledging her family and friends for their unwavering support and promised to use her platform to inspire and serve as an example for others.
Despite the close friendships Kollé formed with some of her fellow contestants, she was disappointed when not all of them reached out to congratulate her after the final. In an interview with Newsweek, she revealed, “I thought we were a group and bonded after a few months, but after I won, I did not get a message from every contestant, and that made me really sad because I thought we were a group and doing this together. Some did not even say congratulations, and it shocked me because I did not expect that.”
Although not everyone offered their congratulations, Kollé did receive “beautiful messages” from some of her former competitors, and she highlighted the positive camaraderie they shared. Former Miss Netherlands 2022, Ono Moody, took to Instagram to celebrate Kollé’s momentous win, expressing her pride in the new Miss Universe Netherlands 2023.
While Kollé’s victory has been met with backlash on social media, with some individuals refusing to accept a transgender woman being crowned, she admitted that she anticipated such transphobic reactions. In an interview with Newsweek, she acknowledged the presence of “haters” who resorted to hurtful comments and wished harm upon her. However, Kollé found strength in their negativity, recognizing that it provided her with an even larger platform to amplify her message. She stated, “The only thing I want to say to the haters is ‘thank you,’ because you’re giving me a bigger platform than I can ever imagine.”
@brutamerica Rikkie Kollé, the first transgender woman to ever be crowned Miss Netherlands, will represent the country later this year in the Miss Universe competition. #news #LGBTQIA #fyp
With her sights set on the 72nd Miss Universe contest, where she will represent the Netherlands alongside 90 women from around the world, Kollé remains focused on her journey and committed to empowering others through her presence and advocacy. Her remarkable achievement as the first trans Miss Netherlands paves the way for greater inclusivity and acceptance within the pageant world, inspiring individuals to embrace their authentic selves and celebrate diversity.
