Rikkie Valerie Kollé made history Saturday when she was named Miss Netherlands 2023 as the first transgender woman to be crowned in Dutch history. Rikkie Valerie Kollé was selected as Miss Netherlands and will represent her country at the 72nd Miss Universe pageant set to take place in El Salvador later this year. The beauty pageant winner is from Breda and aspires to become a voice and role model for the queer community. Kollé, said that when she was younger and came out as transgender, it wasn't easy. "I struggled and it was a very rough time. Today, I am stronger than ever before." Kollé has another chance to make history, if she takes the Miss Universe title in December, she would be the first trans woman to do so. The Miss Universe competition, which is newly owned by a transgender woman, has allowed transgender participation since 2012. Kollé will be the second transgender representative at the Miss Universe pageant after Spain’s Angela Ponce who participated in 2018.
Rikkie Valerie Kollé Becomes First Transgender Miss Netherlands, Will Compete At Miss Universe
- July 14, 2023
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A transgender advocate and health care practitioner. She has extensive education and experience in HIV prevention and health care that relates to transgender individuals. She currently works as the Program Coordinator with Transinclusive Group and is the owner of Tender Loving Care Trans Mentoring. She received the Bishop SF Makalani Mahee Transgender Advocate Award in 2019 and has received many other awards. She serves on the National Board of Governors of the Human Rights Campaign and is on the Board of Directors for the Dolphin Democrats and Black LGBTQ Liberation. She is a member of several civic and political organizations like NAACP, and the Florida LGBTQ Democratic Caucus, and attends Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.
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