All you need to know about Rikkie Vallerie Kollé, first-ever transgender model crowned as Miss Netherlands

In a first, a transgender model, Rikkie Valerie Kollé has been crowned as Miss Netherlands 2023. At the beauty pageant held at the AFAS Theater in Leusden, Netherlands on Saturday, July 8, the 22-year-old transgender model created history by emerging as the winner.

Rikkie Valerie will now advance to the Miss Universe 2023 pageant representing the Netherlands. The 72nd Miss Universe event will be held in El Salvador later this year.

"I DID IT !!!!!" the model said in a post on Instagram after winning the title.

The new Miss Netherlands was also only the second transgender person to have participated in the prestigious Miss Universe pageant. Before her, it was Spain's Angela Ponce, who made history in 2018 by becoming the first transgender person to do so.

However, Kollé also faced criticism on social media, where many users expressed their dissatisfaction with a transitioned biological male winning a women's beauty pageant.

The 22-year-old model, Rikkie Valerie Kollé, is from the city of Breand between Rotterdam and Antwerp. She is of Indigenous Moluccan descent and was born a male and transitioned to a woman.

However, her exact date of birth and educational background is not known yet. She wants to be a voice and role model for young women and the queer community, according to her finalist page.

In 2018, Kollé became one of the finalists in Cycle 11 of Holland’s Next Top Model. Kollé has an active presence on Instagram and she has nearly 25,000 followers.

Her success serves as an inspiration to the transgender community around the world, highlighting the importance of inclusivity and representation across industries.

Kollé now has another chance to create history if she wins the Miss Universe title in December. The Miss Universe organisation changed its rules in the year 2012 to allow all transgender contestants to compete in the prestigious beauty pageant.