Transgender Woman Crowned Miss Portugal; Miss Universe Bound

In a historic moment for Portugal, Marina Machete, a transgender woman, has been crowned Miss Portugal, marking the first time a trans woman has won the national beauty pageant. The crowning took place in the southeastern city of Borba, where the 28-year-old, who had previously worked as a flight attendant for five years and won the Miss Palmela competition, emerged victorious.

Expressing her joy on Instagram before the final, Machete wrote, “Proud to be the first trans woman to compete for the Miss Universe Portugal title! 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.”

However, not everyone in Portugal celebrated Machete’s victory. Some, like Rui Paulo Sousa, a member of Portugal’s parliament, expressed disapproval on social media, stating, “When I read this news, I initially thought it was a joke. It is undoubtedly a sad day for those young women who dreamed about [winning] the female beauty pageant.”

Marina Machete is set to represent Portugal in the upcoming Miss Universe contest in El Salvador next month, where she will compete alongside Miss Netherlands Rikkie Kolle, another transgender woman. The inclusion of biological males in beauty pageants traditionally reserved for women continues to be a contentious issue in several countries. In July, the organizers of Miss Italy announced a ban on transgender individuals, citing a requirement that contestants must be born female.

Re-reported from the article originally published in The RT News