Transsexuals are welcome at female-only bank, Banca Kristal, if their ID cards have “female name”

(Courtesy / ICR News)

December 2^nd, 2015 (ICR News) The controversial women’s-only bank, Banca Kristal will accept transsexual women as customers if their national ID card (cedula) indicates their sex as female or if the “CC” (conocido como, “known as”) line on their ID card indicates a “female” name, a legal representative for the bank tells CRHoy.com. 

Banca Kristal, a subsidiary of state-owned Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) opened its first five branches on Monday, and despite harsh criticism on social media, bank management said that they had signed up more than 1,700 new customers in a matter of hours on opening day, attended by an all-female staff (except for security) of what Banca Kristal calls “Kristal counselors.”

Criticism

Hundreds of people, including many women, have taken to social media to express their disapproval of the concept, calling Banca Kristal sexist and that the bank is reinforcing stereotypes about women, including in its advertising.

On Facebook and Twitter, many critics said that the “Barbie-themed” bank branches look “more like hair salons than banks.”

“Thank you BCR for reinforcing the worst gender stereotypes possible with their Banca Kristal, a disgusting idea,” Marcia Ugarte in Curridabat wrote on Banca Kristal’s Facebook page using the hashtag #YoNOquierounBancoRosa (“I DON’T want a Pink Bank.”)

The criticism even led bank director Monica Segnini to respond on Facebook, saying that she apologizes for “certain elements” that have appeared in advertising for the new bank, though adding that she continues to stand by the concept.

Critics have even set up a Facebook page demanding that the new bank be shut down.

Banca Kristal intends to expand to 20 branches in 2016.