About 100 trans men have applied to participate in the Miss Italy beauty pageant after its organiser said the competition was open only to people who were born female.
Patrizia Mirigliani clarified the restriction after Rikkie Valerie Kolle became the first transgender woman to be crowned Miss Netherlands last month.
“Lately, beauty contests have been trying to make the news using strategies that I think are a bit absurd,” Mirigliani, 65, said.
Among those applying to participate was Federico Barbarossa, a trans activist from Bari in southern Italy, who applied under his “deadname” of Federica.
He posted a message on social media showing that his request had been registered and informing him that he would be contacted by the regional representative of the pageant.