The State of Affairs in Russia

[Martinus]

How to improve Russian road safety? Keep trannies, gamblers and fetishists off them!

Russia says drivers must not have 'sex disorders'

Russia has listed transsexual and transgender people among those who will no longer qualify for driving licences.

Fetishism, exhibitionism and voyeurism are also included as "mental disorders" now barring people from driving.

The government says it is tightening medical controls for drivers because Russia has too many road accidents.

"Pathological" gambling and compulsive stealing are also on the list. Russian psychiatrists and human rights lawyers have condemned the move.

The announcement follows international complaints about Russian harassment of gay-rights activists.

Not just that - also transgendered / transsexual people will be banned.

[Martinus]

Russia has reportedly banned transgender people, as well as those who suffer from "disorders of sexual preference," from obtaining driver's licenses.

The BBC reports that the Russian government has released a legislative document which outlines a revised set of medical controls for drivers in an effort to cut down on the number of car accidents.

Although most of the provisions refer to physical impairments (such as blindness), "gender identity disorders" including "transsexualism" and "dual-role transvestism" are referenced in the document, as well as "sadomasochism" and "exhibitionism," according to BuzzFeed's J. Lester Feder and Susie Armitage.

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."

"Beyond the denial of basic freedoms, this provision may deter transgender people from seeking mental health services for fear of receiving a diagnosis that would strip them of their right to drive, and leaves the door open for increased harassment, persecution, and discrimination of transgender people by Russian authorities," Gaylord added in a statement emailed to The Huffington Post which also appeared on the group's website. "We urge the United States to immediately condemn this provision and to press the Russian government to repeal this decision."

While Russian psychiatric expert Mikhail Strakhov and Valery Evtushenko of the Russian Psychiatric Association were among those to also condemn the regulations, Alexander Kotov of Russia's Professional Drivers Union said be believed "toughening medical requirements for applicants is fully justified," according to the BBC.

Of course, the driving regulations are just one contribution in what appears to be an increasingly volatile environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Russians.

Russia's stance on its LGBT residents came under intense scrutiny last year in the wake of global speculation as to how its controversial "gay propaganda" law would impact foreign athletes participating in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, as well as attendees.

[Syt]

Shawn Gaylord

[Martinus]

They are going to start a database of the one's in bold?

Why not?

Having that kind of information on hand is useful when you need to knock a few people down. If everyone is compromised, no one is safe, and they have to play along. Sort of the way it works with corruption amongst officials in China too.

Yeah, what's so surprising about it. One of the last wide-spread actions of Polish secret policies in the 1980s (when they felt they are already losing ground) was to organise mass arrests of gay men and then compile a database of them and their sexual partners. The fact that after 1989s these men were refused the "victim" status under Polish Gauck-style legislation that was designed to right the wrongs committed by the secret service just adds an insult to the injury.

[Martinus]

Shawn Gaylord

Yes, that's one aptly named LGBT activist if I have ever seen one.

[Eddie Teach]

The government says it is tightening medical controls for drivers because Russia has too many road accidents.

That could be because they have too many drivers doing stupid shit and filming it. More likely than trannies, anyway.

[Liep]

Shawn Gaylord

Yes, that's one aptly named LGBT activist if I have ever seen one.

An aptronym! I knew some QI knowledge would eventually stick.

[The Larch]

How to improve Russian road safety? Keep trannies, gamblers and fetishists off them!

Russia says drivers must not have 'sex disorders'

Russia has listed transsexual and transgender people among those who will no longer qualify for driving licences.

Fetishism, exhibitionism and voyeurism are also included as "mental disorders" now barring people from driving.

The government says it is tightening medical controls for drivers because Russia has too many road accidents.

"Pathological" gambling and compulsive stealing are also on the list. Russian psychiatrists and human rights lawyers have condemned the move.

The announcement follows international complaints about Russian harassment of gay-rights activists.

Not just that - also transgendered / transsexual people will be banned.

It's the first line of the article I quoted. 

[Martinus]

Oh sorry.

[Richard Hakluyt]

The Russian death rate on the roads is between 6 and 10 times the UK rate; there must be a hell of a lot of crossdressers over there if their lawmakers' reasoning is correct 

[Malthus]

The Russian death rate on the roads is between 6 and 10 times the UK rate; there must be a hell of a lot of crossdressers over there if their lawmakers' reasoning is correct 

Hey, they also want to take licences away from "pathological gamblers".

Ironic, since driving on a Russian road appears to be a "pathological gamble". 

[Richard Hakluyt]

The Russian death rate on the roads is between 6 and 10 times the UK rate; there must be a hell of a lot of crossdressers over there if their lawmakers' reasoning is correct 

Hey, they also want to take licences away from "pathological gamblers".

Ironic, since driving on a Russian road appears to be a "pathological gamble". 

Funny and true.

[Martinus]

I wonder what they have against fetishists. 

[Agelastus]

I wonder what they have against fetishists. 

I don't know, what can anyone have against apparent practitioners of one of the traditional African religions.

[celedhring]

Do non-fetishists actually exist, to begin with?