She appeared dressed in red, wearing a crown and greeting the audience, especially her family and friends, who applauded enthusiastically in the front row. THE Rikkie Kolle is the new Miss Netherlands in beauty pageants held on Saturday 8 July 2023.

At 22 years old, her triumph at this stage of the Miss Universe pageants is particularly special. This is because Kolle is a transgender woman. The first ever to win this competition in her country. Her victory is the starting point of her mission to support her community. She has set her sights on becoming the role model she never had during her childhood.

Miss Universe has accepted transgender candidates since 2012. The first national winner was Ángela Ponce, from Spain, in 2018.

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A post shared by Rikkie Valerie Kollé (@rikkievaleriekolle)

In an interview with “EL PAIS”, Kolle says she wants to be a role model for her community on social media and, perhaps, in schools as well. It will take her some time to organize, she admits, but one thing is clear: “I don’t think you can force someone to be transgender. You don’t become transgender. You are trans from the moment you are born. That’s how I feel.” And he continues: “You must realize for yourself that you did not come into the world as you know yourself to be.”

Born in Hoorn and raised in Den Helder, two towns in northern Holland, she knew who she was from an early age. Her parents realized that their son – Rik – was different from other boys when he was eight years old. At that age, she went with them to a transgender clinic in an Amsterdam hospital: “They asked me a lot of questions and did a lot of tests to make sure I was ready to face the long journey of transitioning from male to female. The waiting lists are now three years long,” reports Rikkie Kolle.

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Her journey to transition began at the age of 10 and was completed in January 2023. She shared that moment on her Instagram account, where she has amassed over 37,000 followers. “I shared it because it’s a journey that never ends… I was proud to get this far,” she admits. “We are in 2023 and it is time for acceptance.”

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Despite the support of her family and her school, there were some very difficult times that she cannot forget. Like when he started introducing himself as ‘Rikkie’ in primary school, which confused the other kids. “Kids don’t understand these changes … it’s not that they intimidated me, but they didn’t understand,” he recalls. In high school, a teacher – whom she still remembers clearly – said mean things to her. “I wasn’t one of his favorite students and his behavior showed me that I had to get over it, I had to be stronger.”

At the age of 17, in 2018, she participated in a modeling competition, Holland’s Next Top Model. There, she was told she had the talent required for the profession. In 2019, she reached the finals of another site competition, Elite Model Look. “I really like modelling, but with beauty pageants I have a ‘voice’. I can speak for trans rights, I can be there for my community.”

Since she was crowned Miss Netherlands, she says, she has received a lot of positive messages, but there have also been negative reviews and bitter comments from many netizens. “Many people write to me that I was singled out because I am transgender. I’m proud to be a trans woman, to be Rikkie, and to be myself. I want to combine all of these in one woman,” she points out.

The Miss Universe pageant is scheduled to take place in December in El Salvador. She hopes the atmosphere will be as welcoming as in her home country, where she has befriended some of the other finalists.

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A post shared by Rikkie Valerie Kollé (@rikkievaleriekolle)

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A post shared by Rikkie Valerie Kollé (@rikkievaleriekolle)