AMSTERDAM, July 13 (Reuters) - Rikkie Valerie Kolle, the first transgender woman to be crowed Miss Netherlands, once saw her success in the pageant as a symbol of her nation's openness.
Kolle, 22, said she became a target of hate speech after winning the 94-year-old competition last week.
If she wins she will be the first transgender woman to claim that title.
[1/5]Rikkie Valerie Kolle, a transgender woman who was crowned Miss Netherlands, puts on her makeup in Voorthuizen, Netherlands July 12, 2023.
REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw"I thought we were really accepting.... in the Netherlands, but the hate comments show the other side of our society.
Persons:
Valerie Kolle, Kolle, Piroschka van de, Anthony Deutsch, Emma Rumney
Organizations:
Miss, Miss Universe, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson
Locations:
AMSTERDAM, Miss Netherlands, Voorthuizen, Netherlands