The Miss Universe pageant will feature at least two transgender contestants
The first transgender woman to win Miss Portugal last week was Marina Machete, one of two trans contestants for Miss Universe this year.
Flight attendant Machete, 28, thanked her supporters for the “positive and empowering” messages she received after being crowned Thursday.
“To all of you watching, I just want to say that, just like the universe, your possibilities in life are limitless,” she said in a weekend Instagram video. "So don't limit yourself to any dream."
The first trans Miss Netherlands was 22-year-old Rikkie Valerie Kolle in July.
Only Machete and Kolle appear to be transgender among the 90 women competing for the crown on Nov. 18. There are two more qualifying pageants in Mongolia and China before Miss Universe next month, but no trans contestants have been reported.
After winning Miss Spain 2018, Angela Ponce became the first trans woman to compete in Miss Universe since 2012.
The first woman to own the Miss Universe Organization was Thai businesswoman and transgender advocate Anne Jakkapong Jakrajutatip, who bought it for $20 million last year.