CNN —This year’s Miss Universe pageant will feature at least two trans women for first time, after 23-year-old flight attendant Marina Machete was last week named Miss Portugal. Ms Portugal 2023 - Finalista Palmela Marina MacheteIf either candidate wins, they will become the first trans woman to wear the tiara. Neither Machete nor Miss Portugal’s organizers responded to requests for interview, though in a statement to CNN the Miss Universe Organization said: “Trans women are women, full stop. “Starting next year, every adult woman in the world will be eligible to compete to be Miss Universe,” the statement added. “Miss Universe asked us to describe ourselves in one word,” Kollé said in a video posted to her Instagram page ahead of the Miss Netherlands final.

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Persons: Marina Machete, Miss Portugal, Machete, Rikkie Kollé, ”, I’ve, Portugal, Marina, Spain’s Ángela Ponce, Miss Portugal’s, Jenna Talackova, Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, Miss Universe's, Carlos Alvarez, “, ” Kollé, you’re Organizations: CNN, Miss, 72nd Miss, YouTube, Miss Universe Organization, Miss Universe Canada, JKN Global Locations: El Salvador, Miss Netherlands, Portuguese, Thailand, Madrid, Spain, China