Driving Licence Out of Bounds for Transgenders, Transsexuals in Russia

Russia has included transsexuals and transgenders as those who will not qualify for driving licences, clubbing them with people suffering from "mental disorders" who pose a threat to road safety.

Personality traits such as fetishism, exhibitionism and voyeurism have been labelled as "mental disorders" and people with such disorders are not allowed to drive in Russia any longer. The list also includes "pathological gambling" and "compulsory stealing", according to BBC. 

The step comes on the heels of the Russian government stating that it is looking to tighten medical controls for drivers as the number of accidents is on the rise.

Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed off on an order that says that people can be banned from obtaining driver's licence on information based on their sexual identity and orientation.

Homosexuality continues to remain a taboo in Russia. The country is supposedly biased against people belonging to the LGBT community. It is becoming increasingly difficult for them to come out of the closet. This has attracted criticism from various quarters, including openly-gay singer Elton John.

The order was signed by Medvedev on 29 December and published on 4 January. The list includes what the World Health Organization defines as "gender identity disorders" and "disorders of sexual preference."

Apart from transsexualism, the list also consists of the "desire to live and be accepted as a member of the opposite sex," and "dual-role transvestism," or "wearing clothes of the opposite sex in order to experience temporarily membership of the opposite sex," rferl.com reports.

It is learnt that the Association of Russian Lawyers for Human Rights has slammed the government's new law, terming it "discriminatory". It is likely to demand clarification from the Russian Constitutional Court and seek support from international human rights organisations.

However, the Professional Drivers Union has stood by the government's decision to adopt the law. "We have too many deaths on the road, and I believe toughening medical requirements for applicants is fully justified," said the union's head Alexander Kotov.