The Miss Italy beauty pageant will not allow transgender women to compete as per a recent interview with Patrizia Mirigliani, who is at the helm of Miss Italia 2023. She says, “In my regulation, at the moment, I have not yet opened up to transgenders, because I believe that women must have been born. So as long as my Rules of Procedure go ahead, that will be the case. And for now, I don't think I'll change it." In her statement, Mirigliani added, “Since it was born, my competition has foreseen in its regulation the clarification according to which one must be a woman from birth. Probably because, even then, it was foreseen that beauty could undergo modifications, or that women could undergo modifications, or that men could become women.”
Mirigliani claimed that she has nothing against people who decide to admit transgender people to beauty pageants until it's not instrumental. However, according to Miss Italy's official patron, “the tradition of a competition that has existed for 84 years has its own importance"
The statement by the patron of Miss Italy comes weeks after transgender model Rikkie Valerie Kolle was crowned as the winner of Miss Holland 2023. On Rikkie Valerie Kollé's historic victory, Mirigliani said that she is happy Miss Holland found it fit to include transgenders, but Italy is a “delicate and particular country.” Miss Holland Rikkie Valerie, 22, is a Dutch-Moluccan model and actress. Rikkie's historic win has got her a spot at the coveted 72nd Miss Universe 2023 pageant, where she will represent the Netherlands.
Also Read: Sofia Saloman Could Be The First-Ever Transgender Contestant At The Miss Venezuela Pageant
In 2018, transgender model Angela Ponce from Spain competed in the Miss Universe contest and even though she didn't win, it opened many avenues for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Rikkie and Angela have been monumental figures in the LGBTQIA+ community in the beauty pageantry space. Recently, Venezuelan transgender Model Sofia Saloman also applied for the national beauty pageant and awaits confirmation.
Sources: Newsweek
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