A man who identifies as a woman has been crowned “Miss Portugal,” making him the second man in the race for this year’s “Miss Universe” title.
In a controversial move, Miss Universe Portugal awarded 28-year-old Marina Machete, who was born male, the title of Miss Portugal over the female contestants on Thursday. According to an Instagram post by Machete, he is “proud to be the first trans woman to compete for the Miss Universe Portugal title.”
“For many years I wasn’t eligible to compete and now it’s such an honor to be a part of this incredible group of candidates!” Machete, who happily posed with the crown, wrote.
[All of the best women are men! Seriously, how discouraging does this have to be for biological-female competitors? What’s the point of female competition if men get to enter and win? — Ed]
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