Two male competitors, representing Netherlands and Portugal, have qualified for the upcoming Miss Universe international pageant competition. 

This year, Marina Machete was crowned Miss Portugal and Rikkie Valerie Kollé was crowned Miss Netherlands. They will compete at the Miss Universe pageant this November in El Salvador. According to the pageant’s website, there will be “90 women” competing. 

“Proud to be the first trans woman to compete for the Miss Universe Portugal title!” Machete, a flight attendant, wrote on social media prior to the competition. “For many years I wasn’t eligible to compete and now it’s such an honor to be a part of this incredible group of candidates!”

In a social-media post, Kollé recalled experiencing gender dysphoria at age eight and began transitioning at age eleven. Kollé began taking female hormones at 16 and underwent surgery this year. 

“For this pride month, Miss Universe asked us to describe ourselves in one word,” Kollé said in an Instagram video. “The word I’m choosing is ‘victory,’ because as a little boy I conquered all the things that came through my path — and look at me now, standing here as a strong, empowering and confident trans woman.”

The Miss Universe pageant changed its rules in 2012 to allow male competitors. Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, a Thai media mogul and self-identified transgender woman, bought the Miss Universe Organization for $20 million in 2022. Donald Trump co-owned the Miss Universe Organization from 1996 to 2015. 

“Welcome to the Miss Universe organization. From now on it’s gonna be run by women, owned by a trans woman, for all women really around the world to celebrate the power of feminism,” Jakrajutatip said during the 72nd Miss Universe pageant in 2022.

Jakrajutatip began transitioning at age 16 after moving to Australia for a bachelor’s degree. 

“I was barely five when I was like, ‘Why am I here in a male school?’” Jakrajutatip told the Times of India in 2018. “Every day, late at night, I would lock my bedroom door, put on my mother’s make-up, look into the mirror and say that’s the girl I want to become.”

Angela Ponce, who represented Spain, was the first male to compete for the Miss Universe international crown in 2018.