Originally published July 10, 2023 8:00 pm PDT
A biological man identifying as transgender won Miss Netherlands over the weekend, igniting intense criticism online.
QUICK FACTS:
- 22-year-old biological male Rikkie Kolle defeated nine women to gain the title of “Miss Netherlands” over the weekend, met with harsh backlash on social media.
- “A man just won ‘Miss Netherlands’ 2023,” Dutch commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek tweeted. “Considering the fact that we live in a post-Truth world, I wasn’t even expecting anything else. It’s all so predictable and unoriginal at this point.”
- Kolle will now go on to compete in the 72nd Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador later this year.
- “I DID IT !!!!!” Kolle posted to Instagram. “It’s unreal but I get to call myself @missnederland 2023. It was an educational and beautiful journey, my year can’t be broken anymore. Making my community proud and showing it can be done.”
- The biological man also participated in the “Holland’s Next Top Model” television show in 2018, and is the first transgender-identifying “Miss Netherlands” winner.
- The Miss Netherlands judges claim Kolle “has a strong story with a clear mission,” adding that they were “convinced that the organization will enjoy working” with the transgender individual.
CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR ADA LLUCH ON A TRANSGENDER MAN WINNING MISS NETHERLANDS:
“The Netherlands is home to some of the most beautiful women on earth,” LLUCH SAID. “Of all these beautiful women, they just nominated a transgender man to be Miss Netherlands 2023. A man with a [expletive] should be disqualified from any female beauty pageant and the fact that statement will gain me haters is just insane.”
BACKGROUND:
- Last month, Monroe Lace, a transgender-identifying biological man competed in Miss San Francisco and won.
- Lace then advanced to compete in the Miss California pageant earlier this month.
- “Every time I put on the sash, the weight of it reminds me of the weight of my job; of the responsibility I have to make a difference for young children,” Lace said.
- While visiting different elementary schools, Lace has been seen on video reading “Sparkle Boy,” a children’s book about a boy who wants to wear women’s clothing, to children as young as fourth grade.
- The transgender man claims he has been “dreaming about this since I was 12 years old.”
