Miss Netherlands: Transgender model 'broke boundaries' with beauty pageant win

Rikkie Valerie Kolle will be the second openly trans competitor to take part in Miss Universe later this year

Rikkie Valerie Kolle has made history as the first transgender woman to win Miss Netherlands.

It's the first time in the Dutch pageant's 94-year history that a trans woman has been crowned winner.

It means the 22-year-old will be the second openly trans competitor to take part in Miss Universe in December this year.

She's been speaking to BBC Newsbeat about beauty, backlash and breaking boundaries.

From the moment her name was called as the winner, Rikkie says she simply couldn't believe it.

"I was in full disbelief the moment they called my name, I was like 'oh my god, is this really happening'?" she says.

"You're living through a really intense but also energising period. And you just want to finish the great final with other contestants.

"I just enjoyed every single moment of it."

'I want to thank all the haters'

Rikkie says she dreamed of winning pageants like this as a child.

"The journey started as a super insecure little boy," she tells Newsbeat.

"And now I'm standing here as a strong and empowering and confident woman. I'm really proud of that.

"And that I always got the support around me from my family and my friends and my chosen queer family. I know a lot of people don't have that."

Rikkie says she has experienced negative comments since winning Miss Netherlands

Rikkie says she's had a mix of positive and negative comments from all over the world before and after she won the crown on Saturday - including being told she shouldn't even enter.

"They [people] told me 'she's a pretty girl but she can go to the trans pageantry because it [Miss Netherlands] is for real women'.

"So then I'm like 'OK you're calling me a pretty girl, but also telling me that I'm not a real woman'.

"For me, it's to break boundaries and to step up and go to a beauty pageantry and tell my story, be Rikkie, enjoy every single moment of it.

"The pageantry gives me a stage to talk about what I want to change in society and I think that's a really important thing."

And Rikkie has also experienced negative comments from closer to home.

"In the Netherlands, I also got a lot of backlash," she says.

"It's also showing that we're still not there in the Netherlands and that the inclusivity is on the bare minimum now.

"I thought we were way further than we are. But it only gives me more inspiration to step up my goals and to achieve what I want to do now."

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And her response to the hateful comments?

"I want to thank all the haters because they've only given me a bigger platform. And you won't get rid of me.

"For all the other countries that still have this [hate comments], I want to say that we are not alone."

As Miss Netherlands, Rikkie is now entered into December's Miss Universe competition - which was bought by trans businesswoman Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip last year.

"I'm going to have a lot of training, for example catwalk and preparing myself and what I'm going to say.

"So I'm really excited for that."

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