ABSTRACT
The Clinica Biblica sits in the middle of this neighborhood. Built in 1929 by Protestant missionaries, it has become one of the city’s best known—and most expensive—medical centers, with a multi-floor extension of concrete and glass serving as an appropriate testament to its financial success. Generally, all of the transvestites working the streets of the Clinica Biblica do so in groups of three. The majority are Costa Ricans, though there are some foreigners as well, mostly Panamanians who have come to San José because of the city’s reputation for being somewhat more accepting of transvestism than is the case in their own country. The Biblica is not a particularly welcoming area for transvestites, who typically work there until the early morning hours. However, the precise time at which individual transvestites leave varies according to personal preference and the business prospects for the night.
