first time, her fellow competitors seemed to be very happy for her.Rikkie Valerie Kollé on Saturday became the first transgender woman to win the beauty pageant in the European country.Kollé's win secured her a spot in the international Miss Universe contest, making her the second transgender woman ever to compete in that pageant.While many celebrated the 22-year-old's victory, there was also a swift backlash on social media about the fact that she is transgender, reflecting a wider international debate about LGBTQ+ rights.Despite the backlash, a video of the moment her name was announced as the winner showed her fellow contestants celebrating for her.
This suggests that while there was some outrage about her being allowed to compete in the first place, Kollé's competitors were happy for her to be a part of the pageant.Many even took to their social media to congratulate Kollé."There she is...
our new Miss Universe Netherlands 2023 @rikkievaleriekolle ✨ Well deserved winner who owned that stage Saturday night, with a beautiful message and a very strong mindset.
I'm so proud of you!" wrote Ona Moody, the 2022 winner, on Instagram.Lou Dirchs, who won the Social Media sash on the night, said of Kollé: "A big congratulations to @rikkievaleriekolle.