As the world awakens to the cause of discrimination, here's a country that is making waves and not in a good way, if I may add. The government of Russia is apparently made up its mind about a rather unusual way of ensuring road safety. According to a new legal amendment, people affected by any 'sexual disorders' will not be allowed to drive cars. It will 'reportedly' not issue driver licenses to homosexuals or transgenders. Not only that, according to BBC News, the new guidelines further includes things like fetishism, voyeurism and exhibitionism as grounds for not being allowed to drive.
We are only getting started about it; the ban will also include people shorter than 4 foot, 11 inches, amputees, pathological gamblers and compulsive thieves. The Russian government claims the ban intends to rein in accidents and enhance road safety. While the physical and mental disabilities can still be taken into consideration, the order doesn't explain how a person's sexual preference decides their ability to drive.
Dmitry Medvedev, Russian Prime Minister, signed the order on December 29, 2014 and has been subjected to criticism by not only Russian, but also human rights groups from across the globe. Well, I do suppose they had that coming.
Russia has recorded some of the worst figures for road accidents and fatalities, and the new regulations are part of a government programmed aimed at controlling the situation. According to official figures, around 30,000 people die and 2,50,000 get injured ever year in Russia.
However, this is not the first time that Russia has passed a law against homosexuals or people with different sexual preferences. A Russian law that bans the 'propaganda of homosexuality' to minors, also faced international criticism.
