“Moscow, Russia – A decree signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on December 29th could ban transgender people from driving cars, along with other diagnosed with a long list of “disorders of sexual preference.”
“The provision is part of a broad document outlining the medical conditions that disqualify people from driving or impose limitations on their driving rights. The list of “contraindications” to operating a vehicle includes epilepsy and blindness. But it also references a set of “mental and behavioral disorders as the defined by the World Health Organization, which include “gender identity disorders” such as “transsexualism” and “dual-role transvestism.” The order also encompasses “disorders of sexual preference,” including “sadomasochism,” “pedophilia,” and “exhibitionism.”
“This provision seems to be a small step in the Russian government’s ongoing campaign against LGBT people, which began with the adoption of the so-called “homosexual propaganda” ban in 2013. The new rule, which implements a law titled “On Road Safety,” relies on the World Health Organization’s most recent manual for classifying illnesses, formally known as the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, commonly called the ICD-10.
“The ICD-10 does not classify homosexuality as a “disorder of sexual preference,” however, though someone who wishes to change their sexual orientation or gender identity “because of associated psychological and behavioral disorders” can be diagnosed as having a condition called “egodystonic sexual orientation.”
“Russian authorities often enforce provisions in a way that is much broader than a strict interpretation would allow, however, and this is unlikely to matter if officials seek to use this rule to prevent gays, lesbians, and bisexuals from driving.
A source in the Russian DUMA revealed to Newslo that one of the main reasons why this decree was brought forth is because statistics clearly show that an increasingly large number of traffic accidents across the Russian Federation involve an LGBT person. In fact, “one in every three traffic accidents in Russia is due to the carelessness of the gays and lesbians behind the wheel.”
The source also revealed the full extent of the Russian Prime Minister’s plan: “this is just the first step. This decree is just a trial run to feel out the pulse of the public. Pretty soon, the President and Prime Minister plan to enforce a mandatory public declaration for every citizen of the Russian Federation, which will require each citizen to state their sexual orientation in public. I know for a fact that LGBT people will be implanted with a microchip under their skin, which will allow the authorities to keep track of their whereabouts at all times.”
