Portugal: Trans woman crowned ‘Miss Portugal’

A transgender woman has won the Miss Portugal beauty pageant for the first time and will compete with another transgender woman for the Miss Universe title in El Salvador, Portuguese media reported.

Marina Machete, a 28-year-old trans woman  has won the Miss Portugal beauty pageant in Évora and will now compete with another trans woman for the title Miss Universe, to be held in El Salvador in November.

“Proud to be the first trans woman to compete for the title of Miss Universe Portugal,” she wrote on social media before winning the title.

“For years it was not possible for me to participate and today I am proud to be part of this incredible group of finalists,” she added.

This is the first time in Portugal that a trans woman has won the title. It is not the first time however that a trans woman has competed in a beauty pageant: Ms Machete previously won the title “Miss Palmela”.

With a day job as a flight attendant, Ms Machete was awarded her latest title in Borba, in the southeastern Evora region.

In July, 22-year-old Dutchwoman Rikkie Kolle became the first transgender woman to win the Miss Netherlands title.

Machete and Kolle will succeed Angela Ponce of Spain, who became the first transgender candidate for the Miss Universe title in 2018.

The bottom line remains that the Miss Portugal contest was won by someone who was not born female.

[caption id=“attachment_4712” align=“alignnone” width=“824”] Marina Machete will now compete for title of Miss Universe[/caption]