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The 28-year-old flight attendant will now compete for the title of Miss Universe in El Salvador according to AFP.
Before picking up the award Marina Machete wrote on social media: “Proud to be the first trans woman to compete for the title of Miss Universe Portugal.
“For years it was not possible for me to participate and today I am proud to be part of this incredible group of finalists.”
#WATCH : Miss Palmela, Marina Machete crowned as Miss Universe Portugal 2023 Her victory was historic as she became the first-ever transgender woman to become Miss Universe Portugal.#MarinaMachete #MissUniversePortugal #MissUniverse2023 #MissUniverse #transgender #Portugal… pic.twitter.com/HBBB63qZde
— upuknews (@upuknews1) October 7, 2023
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Português (Brasil)
Someone who has faced prejudice has a thicker skin and more resilience. I wish her the best at the contest.
By Diogo F. from Lisbon on 09 Oct 2023, 17:53
An absolute disgrace! Shame on Portugal!
By Geoff Holloway from Other on 10 Oct 2023, 02:40
Madness takes its toll. What a sad state of affairs. And Portugal is always on the forefront of these developments.
By Tom from Lisbon on 10 Oct 2023, 08:13
I do not believe that the majority of the population of Portugal agree with this. How humiliating for Portuguese women!
By Anthony Smith from Other on 10 Oct 2023, 09:01
Parabéns! So glad that Portugal is an open and accepting country.
By Paula from Porto on 10 Oct 2023, 10:12
It's not a transwoman, it's a confused man attempting to pass himself off as a woman. Clearly someone who needs help.
By Billy Bissett from Porto on 10 Oct 2023, 10:18
A man win Miss Universe. Fixed it
By EJ Gray from UK on 10 Oct 2023, 11:06
Congratulations to her, well done! A transgender woman is as much a woman as is a cis woman. Our brains are more relevant than our bodies. Our current culture´s binary division of genders and language is not a true reflection of nature. I congratulate Marina and wish her all the very best for the future.
By June Anne OConnell from Algarve on 10 Oct 2023, 11:10
Is this person even really from Portugal? When we lived in the Caribbean, there was a huge uproar every year because women would move to an area that was sparsely populated to compete in these ridiculous contests. This is an agenda being pushed to distract us from things that are actually affecting our lives.
By MiMoT from Lisbon on 10 Oct 2023, 11:22
I don't get the bigots in these comments. He or she or whatever does indeed look beautiful, so what's the big deal?
By Pedro Martins from Lisbon on 10 Oct 2023, 11:35
These MISS competitions died years ago, who cares.
By Brian James Robison from Madeira on 10 Oct 2023, 11:38
Tom from Lisbon, Marina Machete is the third transgender woman to represent her country in the global competition. Portugal is not on the forefront of this issue. In 2018, Sevillian Angela Ponce was crowned Miss Spain and, as such, represented the country in the Miss Universe contest. This year, Valerie Kollé, from the Netherlands, also won the contest in her country and will be one of the contestants competing against the Portuguese model.
The Miss Universe pageant allowed transgender people to take part in 2012, after a wave of criticism following the disqualification of Canadian contestant Jenna Talackova for being a transgender woman.
By ljmelo from Algarve on 10 Oct 2023, 12:27
Another triumph of the patriarchy and crushing of women everywhere. A man who cuts off his penis and takes meds who has not been raised as a woman is not a woman.
By PEGGY RANDALL from USA on 10 Oct 2023, 14:00
Parabéns Portugal!!! Thank you for being progressive and open!
By Paula from Porto on 10 Oct 2023, 17:25
SHE IS A WOMAN! Sad to know people judge others using their own gender experience, and thus don't understand what gender is all about. Shame on you for passing judgment. Open your minds to a world bigger than you, as your selfishness and ignorance says more than you imagine. Perhaps this could be your sibling, parent, friend, colleague, and that's what it may finally take to open your brain.
By jeff from Algarve on 10 Oct 2023, 17:26
Portuguese don’t make a big deal out of this. It is only Brexpats, MAGAts — and troublemaker trolls who don’t even live in PT, that make an issue here. You will not succeed in turning the most welcoming, caring, enlightened and compassionate Portuguese people into the kind of hateful backward society you seek.
By DAG from Other on 10 Oct 2023, 17:45
Haters gotta hate.
By USRefugee from Lisbon on 10 Oct 2023, 17:47
This is absolutely despicable and a grave injustice to all natural born women everywhere! I hope this atrocity never happens again.
By Lisa from Other on 10 Oct 2023, 18:51
I support real women, not fake, "I made it up at lunchtime for some shock moment of fame" women. Get real, this is a joke, and it's on you!
By Tony Williams from Other on 10 Oct 2023, 22:24
Yes you are right Diogo, resilience is certainly needed and judging by the following comments I can see why Portugal has dropped to 11th place in the LGBT+ tables.
By Debs from Lisbon on 11 Oct 2023, 07:08
I am proud to live in a country where this is possible. Being born in a body that does not correspond to how you feel is not easy, but the non acceptance of the outside world is what makes their life the hardest. I regret to see the comments but I understand the ignorance as I can imagine people reacting that way don't know any transgender. The unknown scares but nature has always shown that there is a variety of sexuality and gender in both human and animal. One can find it strange or be against it, but it doesn't make it disappear. If a jury decides that this person deserves the miss title, then good for her. A regrettable majority of people might not agree to the decision as transgenders would make up only 2% of population but that doesn't make it wrong for this woman to win. And even if I'm not a miss contest fan, she does look damn good :)
By Bart Vermeer from Lisbon on 11 Oct 2023, 09:45
What's wrong with having a Mister/ Miss Transgender competition and put an end to all this woke bull ?
By Brian James Robison from Madeira on 11 Oct 2023, 10:39
Congratulations to her. Most of the haters on here don't seem very Portuguese. Perhaps this should be an "Immigrants not accepting the values of their host country" debate rather than another tiresome trans debate.
By Ewen from Lisbon on 11 Oct 2023, 10:40
Pretty! well done. I also don’t believe this contest defines Portugal or the Portuguese. They are bogus… nothing against trans folk.
By Cynthia Santiago from Lisbon on 11 Oct 2023, 15:04
If I agree with men who think they are women and mutilate their body wiith surgery and drugs, I'm "open minded" - but if I disagree and think you should be happy with your birth gender, I'm a Hater?
Mmmmm.
I've got a lot to learn.
By Joe from Alentejo on 11 Oct 2023, 19:35
This minority can pretend all they like but don’t expect the majority to believe a man can be a woman, get help.
By JG from Algarve on 12 Oct 2023, 05:26
Trans should compete on there own new world gender
By Filipe from UK on 13 Oct 2023, 21:59