Miss Italy, a prominent beauty pageant, has drawn a clear line on its eligibility criteria by confirming its decision to prohibit biological males who identify as transgender women from participating.

The declaration comes in the wake of Miss Netherlands awarding its crown to a transgender woman for the first time.

Patrizia Mirigliani, the official Patron of Miss Italy, has been staunch in her stance that contestants should have identified as female from birth.

Patrizia Mirigliani, in an interview with Radio Cusano, gave voice to her views on recent shifts within the beauty pageant industry.

As reported by Il Primato Nazionale, she stated, “Lately, beauty contests have been trying to make the news by also using strategies that I think are a bit absurd.”

The words seemingly make a critical reference to the increasing inclusion of transgender-identified individuals in similar competitions.

Mirigliani went on to elaborate on the longstanding rules of the Miss Italy competition, asserting its traditional position.

According to her, from its inception, the contest rules have made it clear that eligibility hinges on being a woman from birth.

Google’s translation of the Il Primato Nazionale report cites Mirigliani as saying, “Since it was born, my competition has foreseen in its regulation the clarification according to which one must be a woman from birth.”

“So as long as my rulebook goes on it will be like this. And for now, I don’t think I’ll change it,” Mirigliani said.