Rikkie Kollé recently made history as the first transgender Miss Netherlands.
As Miss Netherlands, Kollé reportedly wishes to bring about change in the hopes that subsequent generations would have a better experience.
The 22-year-old model and creative told “USA Today” that it was difficult for her to come out as transgender when she was younger.
“I struggled and it was a very rough time. Today, I am stronger than ever before. It's never too late and help is always there. That has always been my guiding principle and I want help and spread it with my own story and experience,” she told the media outlet.
The young woman is from the southern town of Breda and will now compete in the Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador, according to the organisers.
“The most magical evening of my life, I proudly walked the gala round. I enjoyed every moment so much, today is this big day already a week ago. Time flies, so happy and lovely to see this back,” Kollé wrote on Instagram.
However, her celebrations have not been without negative comments and even hate speech.
She told “Reuters” that she thought people were really accepting in the Netherlands, but the hate comments she has received online show the other side of her society.
“I hope that's a wake up call.”
She said that for the time being, she is ignoring the negative comments and is instead focusing on the wonderful things that are coming her way.
The beauty queen went on and said that the nasty remarks were unsolicited, and that others were attacking her for being herself, with some claiming that a cisgender (relating to a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex registered for them at birth; not transgender) woman should have won instead.
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