Transgender Miss Netherlands Rikkie Valerie Kollé blasts ‘sad and horrible’ attacks on Dylan Mulvaney after Bud Light disaster and claims critics who wish them dead ‘see us as monsters’
The transgender winner of the Miss Universe Netherlands pageant criticized the hate against transgender TikToker Dylan Mulvaney, saying that those who wish they were dead “see us as monsters.”
In an interview with News weekRikkie Valerie Kollé said the vitriol Mulvaney continues to experience after a disastrous partnership with Bud Light is “sad” and “terrible.”
“I think it’s real to give the girl so little self-confidence,” Kollé said.
She said Mulvaney’s experience reminded her of the sassy comments she receives daily online.
“They see us as monsters and my daily DMs are full of people wishing me dead. Wishing me dead and telling me to kill myself, those things are horrible to write, but at the same time [time]it just lifts me up because I’m getting a bigger platform than I could have ever dreamed of,” she said.
Rikkie Valerie Kollé looked confident as she beamed to the crowd as she became the first transgender woman to be crowned Miss Netherlands
Kollé condemned the continued hatred Dylan Mulvaney continues to receive following April’s disastrous partnership with Bud Light. Mulvaney recently fled the country, telling followers she no longer felt safe in the US
Earlier in July, Kollé won the Miss Universe Netherlands pageant, becoming the first-ever transgender contestant to take home the crown.
She will advance to the Miss Universe pageant, which will be held in El Salvador later this year.
In an Instagram post following her win, Kollé wrote: “IIt’s unreal, but I get to call myself [Miss Netherland] 2023. It was an educational and beautiful journey… I am so proud and happy that I can’t even describe it. Making my community proud and showing that it’s possible.’
When asked to describe herself in one word ahead of the election final, Kollé said in a video: ‘Victory,; adding, “Because as a little boy I overcame everything that came my way and now look at me.
“Standing here, as a strong, powerful and confident trans woman. Love is love. Be who you want to be and never forget to always celebrate your pride.”
The Dutch-Moluccan participant impressed the jury with her ‘strong story’ and ‘clear mission’.
Transgender billionaire Anne Jakrajutatip, 43, took over the Miss Universe organization from Donald Trump last October and has since underscored her belief that “trans women are women, period.”
Transgender women are allowed to participate as long as they have undergone gender confirmation surgery.
Kollé has previously said that becoming a woman “wasn’t easy for everyone” and admitted that she personally suffered greatly on her journey.
However, she was so determined to become a girl that she changed her name from Rik to Rikkie at age 11, convinced she was “born in the wrong body.” But in her childhood, she was bullied for years, which led her to come home from school and cry most days.
Rikkie Valerie Kolle looked confident as she beamed at the crowd as she became the first transgender woman to be crowned Miss Netherlands
Ms Kolle (pictured after gender confirmation surgery), who changed her name from Rik to Rikke at age 11 and was teased for years, believes she was ‘born in the wrong body’
Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip (pictured in November 2022) won the Miss Universe system last year, she has said the pageant will recognize trans women as women
Ms Kolle (pictured) shared the moment of winning with her 30,000 followers on Instagram, writing: ‘I DID IT!!!!!
‘I was born as little Rik, but I wanted to be a big Rikkie. The transition from male to female became something that made me feel at home,” she wrote on her Instagram.
“I endured teasing and went home crying. I would think, “Why me, why is this happening to me?” But I’ve always had the support of my loving family and friends.”
Finally, in January of this year, she underwent surgery to confirm her gender — something she described as “the day I became who I want to be.”
Kollé becomes the second transgender woman ever to compete in Miss Universe.
In 2018, Angela Ponce from Spain became the first trans woman to compete for the acclaimed Miss Universe title.
Earlier this year Daniela Arroyo González, who is openly transgender, was also selected to compete in the Puerto Rico competition.
Transgender contestants have been able to compete for the crown since 2012.
Mulvaney announced the partnership in a series of videos posted to social media in early April
Kollé said Mulvaney’s experience reminded her of the sassy comments she receives daily online
Meanwhile, it was recently revealed that Mulvaney is traveling through Peru, after feeling unsafe in America as the fallout from the Bud Light drama continues.
Bud Light’s April partnership with transgender influencer Mulvaney has cost the brand’s parent company about $22 billion in market cap to date.
Bud Light sales fell 28.5 percent in the week ending July 1, slightly less than the brand’s 27.9 percent drop in the week ending June 24.
Mulvaney told fans that the solo trip to South America is part of an effort to reconnect with herself.
“Okay surprise! I’m in Peru! I’m at Machu Picchu. Isn’t this beautiful,” Mulvaney said in a video featuring a llama.
‘I came here to feel something. And I sure have. I’ve done shamanic ceremonies that were like 10 years of therapy, it was wild.
‘I’ve seen a lot of llamas. The people here are so nice. I feel very safe here.
“It’s a bit sad that I had to leave my country to feel safe, but it will get better eventually.
“I’m craving some Trader Joes rolled chili-lime chips, but other than that I’m so pleased. I still haven’t been kissed, but I have hope.
‘Especially because of this trip, I feel like my own best friend again. And that’s the best feeling in the world.’
Dylan Mulvaney has fled to Peru for some much-needed solo travel and soul-searching after complaining that she no longer felt safe in the US.
She said, “The most important thing about all this journey is that I feel like my own best friend again. And that’s the best feeling in the world’
Mulvaney only recently broke her silence about the fiasco, berating the troubled brand for not standing by her side.
She told her 1.8 million followers, “I waited for the brand to contact me, but they never did. I have been afraid to leave my house.
“If a company hires a trans person and then doesn’t publicly assist them, that’s worse than not hiring a trans person at all.
“I’ve been ridiculed in public, I’ve been followed, and I’ve felt a loneliness I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
After going public with her criticism, Anheuser-Busch hit back in a statement to say they are “committed to the programs and partnerships” they have forged with the LGBTQ+ community.
Bud Light’s April partnership with transgender influencer Mulvaney has cost the brand’s parent company about $22 billion in market cap to date
The company didn’t directly name Mulvaney, but their comments came immediately after she lashed out at them for not supporting her and the trans community.
In the statement, they said: “The privacy and security of our employees and our partners is always our top priority.
“As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best: brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in times that matter to our consumers.”
Their statement comes after CEO Brendan Whitworth was criticized for refusing to rule out whether the company would work with Mulvaney again – and avoided answering how much the marketing blunder had cost Bud Light.
It’s one of the few times the company has directly addressed the controversy surrounding its partnership with Mulvaney — as bosses initially claimed an “outside agency made the move to work with Mulvaney without management awareness or approval.”
Anheuser-Busch said earlier this month it would triple its marketing spending in the US this summer to boost distressed sales.