Trans woman crowned Miss Universe Portugal for the first time
It's another win for the transgender community!
Marina Machete recently made history as the first transgender woman to win Miss Portugal. She's now set to compete for the highly coveted Miss Universe crown at the upcoming international pageant.
In an Instagram post before her historic win, the beauty queen recalled how she tried to participate in the prestigious tilt for several years.
"Proud to be the first trans woman to compete for the title of Miss Universe Portugal," she wrote.
"For many years, I wasn’t eligible to compete and now it’s such an honor to be a part of this incredible group of candidates," she added.
Marina also bagged the Most Confident award at the competition, where she talked about her commitment to the protection of human rights.
The 28-year-old will be joined at the Miss Universe competition by 22-year-old model and actress Rikkie Kollé, who also made history as the first trans woman to win the Netherlands pageant. The international tilt will be held on Nov. 18 in El Salvador.
Angela Ponce of Spain is the first transgender candidate who vied for the Miss Universe title back in 2018.
The organization began allowing transgender contestants to take part in the pageant in 2013, according to Reuters.
The Miss Universe Organization is now owned by Thai media and content conglomerate JKN Global Group, headed by trans woman CEO Anne Jakrajutatip.