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A Danish beauty queen has won the title of Miss Universe, and many are already making fun of the fact that the winner is a biological woman.
After a spectacular performance in the 73rd Miss Universe final in Mexico City, 21-year-old Victoria Kjaer Theilvig took over the title on Saturday night.
After the 2023 tournament included married, plus-sized, and transgender competitors, she outperformed more than 120 other competitors to achieve this.
Even though the pageant was recently purchased by a Thai media tycoon who is an outspoken advocate for transgender rights, this year’s was more conventional.
The first trans woman, Marina Machete of Portugal, placed in the top 20 last year after the competition was criticized for what many perceived as an antiquated definition of beauty.
Rikkie Valerie Kolle, 22, was the first transgender person to win Miss Netherlands a few months prior.
A few years prior, Angela Ponce, the first openly trans woman to win Miss Spain, cleared the path for them by becoming the first trans woman to compete in Miss Universe.
The reaction on Saturday night, when many quipped that they were shocked to see a non-transgender winner, appeared to be influenced by the changing ideals.
On Saturday night in Mexico City, 21-year-old Victoria Kjaer Theilvig was crowned the 73rd Miss Universe. The Danish student achieved this by defeating over 120 other competitors.
To his more than two million followers, well-known political pundit Matt Wallace wrote, “BREAKING: Fans shocked after straight, white, biological woman wins Miss Universe 2024.”
“Reality has just returned!” Denmark, congrats!’ added another.
“The woke virus is on the run, and the tides are turning.” Someone another said, “Hold the line.”
“Return to normalcy,” another person added.
Given the ongoing discussion around the sanctity of some all-female competitions, the most of the replies seemed to have been offered in jest.
I think of the controversy surrounding Algerian fighter Imane Khelif, who won a gold medal, and transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney, who is now well-known for her association with Bud Light.
Khelif was mistakenly classified as transgender by far-right groups, while Mulvaney was born a guy but has subsequently changed to a female identity.
Khelif was excluded from the 2023 world championships after failing vague and obvious eligibility checks, despite the fact that her passport states that she was assigned female at birth.
Since then, conservatives like Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and soon-to-be President Donald Trump have voiced their disapproval of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) eligibility requirements for fighters.
The reaction to the Dane’s victory on Saturday night appeared to be influenced by shifting attitudes, as many people quipped that they were shocked to see a non-transgender woman win the title.
🚨BREAKING: Fans shocked after straight, white, biological woman wins Miss Universe 2024 ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/y9UDLFZei2
— Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) November 17, 2024
After the IBA, one of boxing’s sanctioning bodies, barred Khelif from the 2023 world championship final because of “high levels of testosterone” in her system, both politicians have cited discrepancies between the IOC and the sport’s regulatory body.
Since then, the circumstances surrounding that disqualification have come under scrutiny. Khelif has sued the French media over accusations that the 25-year-old has XY (male) chromosomes, calling the whole thing “a big conspiracy.”
While Mulvaney was controversially selected ‘Woman of the Year’ by British magazine Attitude around this time last year, she went on to win Olympic gold despite the gender eligibility controversy.
At an awards ceremony in October 2023, the London-based journal gave Mulvaney the title, which prompted a long speech.
Mulvaney, 27, stated at the time, “Some see me as the woman of the year, some see me as a woman of a year and some change.”
“And some people don’t even consider me a woman.”
She continued by stating that she only “publicly came out online 560 days ago” before becoming well-known due to her “Days of Girlhood” TikTok series, which followed her transition.
She continued to rave about how “grateful” she was that the award was being handed in the UK instead of the US before bringing up the then-developing controversy over a later Bud Light sponsorship.
Mulvaney remarked at the time, “I came to London on vacation this summer after months of feeling isolated and when I arrived, I didn’t feel that baggage that I was carrying back in the US.”
I also didn’t feel like the beer girl who is transgender. I envisioned this nation as a secure haven.
The ‘baggage’ she had alluded to was the negative reaction of American viewers who were put off by the idea of a transsexual lady appearing on the cans of their preferred beer.
Fans of the Miss Universe pageant, which was purchased for $20 million last year by Thai businesswoman and transgender advocate Anne Jakkapong Jakrajutatip, displayed a similar lack of enthusiasm on Saturday.
She welcomed several transgender competitors to the pageant last year, including Machete and Kolle, the first woman to own the title. In July 2023, Kolle became the first trans woman to win the title of Miss Netherlands.
The former, on the other hand, performed well enough to advance to the finals before falling short against Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua, Theilvig’s predecessor.
The 29-year-old flight attendant, Machete, thanked fans for the “positive and empowering” messages she received after winning the title of “Miss Portugal” a few weeks prior.
In an Instagram video at the time, she stated, “To all of you watching, I just want to say that, just like the universe, your possibilities in life are limitless.” “Therefore, don’t confine yourself to any one of your dreams.”
‘Yes, I’m trans, and I want to share my story, but I’m also Rikkie, and that’s what important to me,’ Kolle would add in her own post within a few days.
She also stated, “I enjoyed every moment and did this on my own strength.”
She also disclosed that, similar to Mulvaney, she had experienced hate speech because to her background.
I had assumed that the Netherlands was a very accepting country, but the hateful remarks expose the darker part of our culture. At the time, she told Reuters, “I hope that’s a wake-up call.”
For now, I completely disregard it. I concentrate on the positive things that are coming my way.
Out of the 90 transgender competitors last year, the two were the only ones who advanced that far this time.
Qatrisha Zairyah, a fashion advisor, was the first transgender woman to get to the Miss Universe Singapore finals in September, but she was unable to secure a spot in Mexico.
Before her, Kataluna Enriquez, who won Miss Nevada in 2021, was the first trans woman to compete in the Miss USA competition. Additionally, she missed that year’s Miss Universe pageant.
The first transgender woman to advance to the Miss Universe Singapore finals was fashion advisor Qatrisha Zairyah, who did not qualify for the Universe finals in Mexico back in September.
After winning the title of Miss Spain in 2018, Angela Ponce became the first trans woman to be selected for the competition.
Since then, only few transgender contestants have advanced to the finals; Machete being the most recent.
When Angela Ponce won the title of Miss Spain in 2018, she became the first trans woman to be selected for the competition.
Since 2012, when the organizers initially permitted trans women to compete, the topic has been the focus of heated debate.
Since then, just a handful of transgender contestants—Machete being the most recent—have advanced to the finals.
As the name was revealed by American host Mario Lopez and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo, Victoria, meantime, started crying.
