Officials in Russia are planning to ban transgender and transsexual drivers from owning or qualifying for a driving license, in a move to lower Russia’s death rate on the road.
In a truly bizarre move, Russian officials have made an announcement that they are to tighten restrictions on who can apply or qualify for a driver’s license. Those who are likely to be banned are those they claim have ‘metal disorders’ which the government has listed transsexual and transgender men and women. Also banned will be those with gambling addictions and those who compulsively steal.
Also listed as disorders, those with Fetishism, exhibitionism and voyeurism. The move has been made because the government is worried about too many road accidents. The decree was signed on the 29th December by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
Human Rights lawyers and activists have decried the move, but the Professional Drivers Union has supported the move. Alexander Kotov, the union’s leader told the BBC, “We have too many deaths on the road, and I believe toughening medical requirements for applicants is fully justified,”
He did say that the requirements should not be so strict for non-professional drivers.
According to available statistics, in 2012, 28,000 road fatalities were recorded in Russia, around 55 per 100,000 vehicles. The USA reported 36,166 in the same period, 13.5 per 100,000 whilst the UK reported 2,175 deaths, 6.2 per 100,000 vehicles.
In countries where homosexuality is illegal such as Zimbabwe, Yemen and Uganda, death rates are 212, 587.6, and 1518.1 per 100,000 vehicles respectively.
The move is an extension of Russia’s already restrictive campaign against LGBT people. In 2013 the Russia government infamously enacted the anti-gay law, which forbids the promotion of homosexuality to anyone under the age of 18.
