On July 8, 2023, Rikkie Valerie Kollé made history by becoming the first transgender model to be crowned Miss Netherlands 2023. According to World360news, the beauty pageant winner hails from Breda and wishes to be a voice and role model for the gay community.
Nathalie Mogbelzada, 26, from Amsterdam, was the first runner-up. Meanwhile, Habiba Mostafa and Lou Dirchs were crowned Miss Congeniality and Miss Social Media, respectively. Furthermore, R’Bonnet Gabriel, the popular Miss Universe, attended the event, which was hosted at the AFAS Theater in Leusden. However, Rikkie Valerie Kollé received criticism on social media, where she was referred to as a man by several individuals. Others were angry that transitioned biological guys were taking the place of women in beauty pageants.
22-year-old Rikkie Valerie Kollé is a Breda native.
Rikkie Valerie Kollé’s date of birth and educational background are unclear, however, she is said to be 22 years old. She is the first transgender woman to win the title of Miss Netherlands 2023, and the second representative in the Miss Universe competition after Angela Ponce of Spain. Kollé has over 25,000 Instagram followers and 135 photos, most of which depict her posing in various clothes. While she was Miss Netherlands 2023, she posted updates on her Instagram story, beginning with her appearances on stage and ending with her announcement as the winner.
The model’s most recent post was two days earlier, and she was wearing a red satin dress. It was an official photoshoot for Miss Netherlands, according to the description. Rikkie Valerie Kollé will next represent the Netherlands in the 72nd Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador in 2023.
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Kollé discussed the significance of being authentic to oneself in an interview with World360News. She said that she intends to utilize the platform to empower everyone and guarantee that no one faces prejudice as a result of announcing their identity. Miss Netherlands 2023 began in May 2023, with the casting taking place on April 29, 2023, at Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam. The competition’s finalists were picked from a pool of ten.
Habiba Mostafa, Ruby-Ann Chwatchko, Nazeli Kouki, Chanille Hupsel, Lidewei van der Staaij, Beate van der Weide, Nathalie Mogbelzada, Christina Cairo, and Lou Dirchs were among the other participants. Zoey Ivory, Nicky Opheij, Monica van Ee, Ona Moody, Julia Sinning, Denise Speelman, and Rahima Dirkse were also on the jury panel.
Transgender models who have previously won beauty pageants
There have been several occasions when transgender models have won beauty pageants. In March 2023, R’Bonney Gabriel was crowned Miss Universe 2022. She was previously crowned Miss USA 2022. Brian Nguyen, 19, was crowned Miss Greater Derry 2023 in November 2022 and received a crown, title, and scholarship. However, the decision was questioned by @sk, and the pageant withdrew the scholarship amount information from the website that Nguyen earned. In June 2021, Kataluna Enriquez was named Miss Nevada USA. She had already won the Miss Silver State USA contest the previous year.
