For the first time in the history of the national beauty pageant, a transgender woman has been named Miss Portugal. Marina Machete, a biological male, was crowned on Thursday in the southeastern city of Borba.
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Machete is 28 years old and has five years of flight attendant experience. She was previously crowned Miss Palmela.
“Proud to be the first trans woman to compete for the Miss Universe Portugal title!” Before the final, Machete posted on Instagram.
“For many years I wasn’t eligible to compete and now it’s such an honour to be a part of this incredible group of candidates!”
Machete’s victory did not please everyone in Portugal. “When I first read this news, I thought it was a joke,” Rui Paulo Sousa, a Portuguese parliamentarian, remarked on Facebook. “It is undoubtedly a sad day for those young women who dreamed about [winning] the female beauty pageant.”
Machete will compete in the Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador next month. Miss Netherlands Rikkie Kolle, another transgender lady, will compete in the competition.
Biological guys appearing in beauty pageants typically reserved for women continues to be a contentious subject in a number of countries. Miss Italy organisers said in July that transgender people will be barred from competing. “Since it was founded, my contest has stipulated in its regulations [that contestants] must be a woman from birth,” Patrizia Mirigliani, the competition’s official patron, said in a radio interview, as reported by CNN.
