Transvida denounces transphobic attacks against trans education official in Atenas.
2026 September 13
The Transvida Costa Rica association denounced a campaign of transphobic attacks against Andrea Muñoz, a trans woman who works as an official with the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) in Circuit 08, Alajuela province. The attacks began after a parent, Paola Madrigal, posted videos on social media questioning Muñoz’s presence at a school in Atenas and calling for actions to remove her from the area.
The online campaign against Muñoz included public questioning of her gender identity and clothing, deliberate misgendering, disclosure of her previous name in violation of her privacy, and allegations about her use of restrooms. Although Madrigal claimed her objections were not based on gender, she used masculine pronouns to refer to Muñoz and described her presence as “abnormal.”
Keyra Martínez, president of Transvida, rejected the harassment, stating: “We completely repudiate the transphobic attacks that our colleague Andrea Muñoz is receiving.” She stressed that Muñoz’s professional qualifications, not her appearance or identity, should be the focus. The MEP has maintained gender recognition policies since 2016, and Transvida pointed to existing anti-discrimination decrees and restroom-access guidelines that protect trans people.