Miss Universe organizers back transgender models; says they are allowed to compete
The Organizers of Miss Universe have backed transgender women competing in their competition as long as they have had gender-affirming surgery.
It comes after Rikkie Valerie Kolle, 22, won the Miss Netherlands title, and will be the second transgender woman to perform in Miss Universe.
Kolle is the first trans woman to win the Netherlands title and thanked her ‘haters’ for giving her a ‘bigger platform’ for her win.
Transgender billionaire Anne Jakrajutatip, 43, took over the Miss Universe organization from Donald Trump in October last year.
She has made many sweeping changes to the competition, eliminating the most photogenic and best swimwear prizes and pushing for women’s empowerment.
Both Miss Universe and Miss America allow transgender competitors but stipulate that they must have had gender-affirming surgery.
The Miss America contest changed the rules for their competitors for the 2024 season, saying people must identify as a ‘born female’ or have ‘fully completed sexual reassignment surgery’.
Previously the pageant had allowed anyone who simply identified as ‘a woman’ to participate.
Miss Universe has allowed trans women to compete for more than a decade and recently opened up the competition to married and divorced women.
A spokeswoman for Miss Universe told DailyMail.com: ‘Miss Universe is open to all women contestants, and that includes trans women.
‘Trans women are women, full stop. We are here to celebrate women, full stop. Our policy for more than a decade requires that trans women contestants have had gender-affirming surgery and, in fact, five years ago a trans woman delegate competed
on the Miss Universe Stage.
‘The Miss Universe Organization is always evolving, and we are always updating our entry rules — in the last two years we have allowed married women, divorced women, pregnant women, and women with children to join.’
