Men and women have competed to this day to impress the judges in an effort to claim the title of most attractive or most handsome of each nation and advance to the prestigious Miss/Mr Universe competition and represent their nation. But what happened in Portugal opens a window—or rather, shattering a stereotype—and expands the definition of beauty across all of its forms.

 Marina Machete, a 28-year-old flight attendant who will make history as the first transgender winner of a contest, was crowned Miss Portugal 2023 in Portugal.  For the Miss Universe competition, which will be held in El Salvador in November, Machete will now face off against others.

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Who is Marina Machete?

After Rikkie Valerie Kolle, Marina Machete, a flight attendant by profession, will represent the transgender community in the Miss Universe competition.  According to Euro Weekly News, she was born and raised in the District of Setubal in the small Portuguese town of Palmela.

In the days leading up to the contest, Machete said on Instagram that she "was proud to be the first trans woman to compete for the title of Miss Universe Portugal." She continued by saying that for many years, she had not been "eligible to compete" and that she was now grateful to have been given the chance. Despite her lack of social media activity, Machete still has over 8,000 Instagram followers.

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She has worked as a flight attendant for the past five years, which has not only given her the opportunity to travel the world but also given her a broader understanding of the difficulties experienced by transgender people. She is a fervent advocate of LGBTQ+ rights and inclusivity outside of her professional sphere. Marina's journey to acceptance has been marked by tenacity and tenacity, highlighting the challenges trans women frequently endure in receiving acceptance and being honored.


About Miss Universe

Machete and Kolle are now following in the footprints of Angela Ponce of Spain, who made history in 2018 by becoming the first transgender contestant for the Miss Universe crown.
The oldest national beauty pageant is Miss Portugal, which has been held annually since 1926. Its president is Ricardo Montevero, and its main office is in Lisbon.
The CEO of the Thai media company JKN Global Group and a transgender Thai lady named Anne Jakkapong Jakrajutatip are now the owners of the Miss Universe contest.

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