Friday, January 9, 2015

Russia: Let's Keep Gays From Driving Cars!

Russia now plans to ban transgender people, as well as those who suffer from "disorders of sexual preference," from obtaining driver's licenses.  In a shocking development, the Russian government has now issued a legislative document which outlines the new requirements for anyone who operates a motor vehicle-- supposedly in an effort to cut down on the number of car accidents.

Most of the provisions refer to physical impairments (such as blindness, understandably).  But also included on the list of those banned from driving are those who "suffer from"  gender identity disorders,  "transsexualism”, and “dual-role transvestism”-- as well as “sadomasochism" and “exhibitionism."  There is no doubt among those outside Russia that one of the goals of the new legislation is to further restrict the rights of homosexuals within Russia.

Among those to decry the new regulations was Shawn Gaylord of Human Rights First, who noted that "banning people from driving based on their gender identity or expression is ridiculous and just another example of the Russian regime’s methodical rollback of basic human rights for its citizens.”  Even Russian psychiatric expert Mikhail Strakhov and Valery Evtushenko of the Russian Psychiatric Association were among those to also condemn the regulations. 

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