Contestants in the Miss Italy beauty contest must be female from birth. This is the new proclamation in the competition’s official rules.
According to an interview with local media, Miss Italy’s official patron Patrizia Mirigliani noted that contestants’ requirement to be born female has always been part of the competition’s rules.
She reasoned that this was likely the case since even ancient people knew physical characteristics like attractiveness and gender could be altered.
Evie Magazine reports that Mirigliani has called the efforts of other competitions to foster diversity and inclusion “a bit absurd” and an attempt to “make the news.” She said that female gender assignment at birth was always a requirement of the competition regulations.
Rikkie Valerie Kolle, the first transgender woman to win Miss Netherlands, was recently crowned. There was both applause and criticism for this progressive step.
After her victory, Kolle faced a barrage of online abuse but chose to look at the bright side. She plans to enter the Miss Universe pageant, which has not yet had a transgender winner.
I thought the Dutch were tolerant, but these hateful responses show me otherwise. Kolle, calling the remarks unprovoked, told Reuters that he hoped they would serve as a wake-up call.
The Miss Italy pageant reportedly instituted new rules in 2012 to increase the difficulty of entering the competition. One major shift is the elimination of any potential participants who have had plastic surgery.
Mirigliani also required all candidates to wear a one-piece swimsuit in either black or white and banned any form of exposing swimwear, body piercings, or tattoos. She defended the mandates by saying they were necessary to recall the timeless beauty of the 1950s.
Local media, especially Il Giornale, controlled by ex-Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, were critical of the requirements. They said that parents would be offended to see kids in old-fashioned clothes.
