Trans woman excluded from Miss Costa Rica pageant takes case to Sala IV.
2024 July 13
A transgender woman filed a constitutional appeal (recurso de amparo) before Costa Rica’s Constitutional Chamber (Sala IV) after being barred from competing in the Miss Universe Costa Rica pageant. She submitted her application to the organizer, OPA Canal 38, on April 5, 2024, and received confirmation the same day, but the pageant’s director publicly stated she could not participate because she was not “una mujer nacida biológicamente” (a biologically born woman). The court admitted the appeal for study (case 24-014678-0007-CO) to determine whether the organizer violated her rights and whether it should be ordered to allow the participation of transgender women.