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The prestigious Miss Italy beauty contest has recently stated that only those who identify as female since their birth will be able to participate.
Miss Italy Official Patron, Patrizia Mirigliani, declared in a regional media outlet that the competition she oversees has always maintained this rule in its guidelines, that contestants should be women from the time they are born, as reported by Newsweek.
This rule, according to Mirigliani, was probably established in anticipation of potential changes in defining beauty, be it transformations women might undergo or individuals transitioning from male to female.
As reported by Evie Magazine, Mirigliani expressed her reservations on inclusivity initiatives from other pageants, labeling such efforts as ‘somewhat nonsensical’, and merely a means to ‘grab headlines.’
Mirigliani firmly maintains that since its inception, the competition’s rules always stipulated that contestants need to be women from birth. The Miss Italy pronouncement comes on the heels of the Miss Netherlands pageant, which recently crowned its first winner who openly identifies as transgender, Rikkie Valerie Kolle.
The crowning of Kolle represented a significant stride towards inclusivity, though it was not without its share of opposing views.
After her victory, Kolle faced a large amount of online hostility, but declared she was determined to focus on the optimistic aspects of her journey. She is now preparing to participate in the Miss Universe competition, which has yet to see a transgender winner.
Undeterred by the negativity, Kolle voiced out on Reuters, describing the derogatory comments as uncalled for. The Miss Italy event, meanwhile, has consistently kept abreast with clearly defined participant standards, carrying out major changes when required.
An exemplary instance of this is the 2012 update, which imposed a ban on contestants who had resorted to plastic surgery, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald. Zeudi Di Palma, the recently crowned Miss Italia 2021, was photographed alongside Mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, Patrizia Mirigliani and her mother.
This photo op took place within the premises of Castel Nuovo, before the ceremonial event celebrating her victorious ascension.
In addition to the restrictions mentioned earlier, Mirigliani has instituted further prohibitions, including bans on ‘revealing swimwear’, body piercings and tattoos.
Contestants are required instead to adhere to a modest black-and-white one-piece swimsuit. The guiding premise behind these changes, as explained by Mirigliani, was to pay homage to the ‘timeless beauties’ of the 1950s.
Mirigliani’s approach, however, has faced criticism from certain segments of the Italian media. Il Giornale, a newspaper once owned by ex-Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, was vocal in expressing its disagreement.
The paper argued that spectators were not thrilled about seeing ‘sweet ladies garbed in attire that their grandmothers may have worn’.
Despite criticism, the Miss Italy event remains undaunted and firm on its stand to preserve traditional standards for beauty contests. While this notion might seem conservative for some, it underpins the pageant’s commitment to a certain vision of femininity.
At a time when global beauty pageants are increasingly promoting inclusiveness and diversity, the Miss Italy event continues to stand by its historic values, and refuses to sway with the changing opinions on gender identity.
A balance needs to be achieved between respecting everyone’s right to express themselves and preserving certain long-held traditions.
The debate is not about what’s right or wrong, but about finding a middle ground that ensures both heritage and progress. Every contest, after all, is free to uphold its own, unique standards.
While some might argue that beauty pageants need to evolve and enhance their relevance to present times, others might counter that heritage and tradition are vital to preserve the essence of such contests.
In the midst of this rapid change, the Miss Italy beauty pageant serves as a reminder of a bygone era of elegance and charm.
The heated conversation regarding inclusivity in beauty pageants is ongoing and will likely continue in the foreseeable future. The Miss Italy competition, while seemingly at odds with this growing trend, continues to stand firm, offering a perspective that has every right to be heard in this diverse discussion.