THE BUZZ!
Exclusive: Transgender Miss Netherlands Winner Speaks Out After Backlash
First,
Rikkie Valerie Kollé at 22 years old made history by becoming the first transgender woman to win Miss Universe Netherlands.
She will now head to El Salvador in December to represent The Netherlands in the international contest, Miss Universe.
Kollé has received death threats and other hate speech from some people who believe that a transgender woman should not be allowed to compete in the pageant.
However, Kollé has said that she is not going to let the haters get her down. She plans to use her platform to speak out for transgender rights and to help change the way that transgender people are treated in society.
Kollé also wants to do something to address the long waiting lists for transgender health care. She believes that people need to be able to get the help they need as soon as possible.
The Country is very liberal when it comes to these types of issues.
In 2001, The Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage, and in 2014 it passed a law that would make it easier for transgender people to self-identify and update the markers on official documentation to reflect their true gender.
Source: Newsweek
