The beauty pageant Miss Italy (Miss Italia) has announced that contestants must be “a woman from birth,” thereby excluding biological males who identify as transgender from participating in the competition. Patrizia Mirigliani, the official patron of the competition, clarified that this standard has remained unchanged since the competition’s inception. According to Mirigliani, the inclusion of this requirement from the beginning was to anticipate any potential changes in beauty standards and gender identity. She emphasized that Miss Italy will not embrace the trend of trans activism to attract media attention. Despite this strict policy, Miss Italy has relaxed its regulations over the years by allowing women with tattoos, piercings, and hair extensions to compete.
Speaking about the shifting landscape of beauty pageants, Mirigliani commented on the excessive strategies employed to highlight aesthetics and attract attention. She believes that these excesses are unnecessary and does not want Miss Italy to be a part of that. Mirigliani’s remarks come after Miss Netherlands crowned a contestant who identifies as transgender, making her the first transgender contestant to win the title. However, Mirigliani stated that the rules for Miss Italy will not change to accommodate transgender contestants.
It is important to note that Miss Italy is a separate pageant from Miss Universe Italy, which selects the Italian representative for the Miss Universe pageant. Rikkie Valerie Kollé, the winner of Miss Netherlands, will represent the country in the upcoming Miss Universe 2023 pageant. Kollé will be the second openly transgender person to compete in the Miss Universe pageant, following Angela Ponce, who represented Spain in 2018.
In 2012, the Miss Universe beauty pageant, which includes Miss USA, changed its rules to allow biological males who identify as transgender to participate. The organization cited its commitment to equality for all women as the reason behind the decision. In recent years, two individuals who identify as transgender won beauty pageants in the United States. Kataluna Enriquez won Miss Nevada USA in 2021 and competed in the Miss USA pageant the same year. Brian Nguyen became the first person identifying as transgender to win a title under the Miss America organization in 2022. However, Nguyen did not win the Miss New Hampshire 2023 pageant.