Russia lists transgender people among those unfit to drive

MOSCOW - The Associated Press

Cars are stuck in a congested traffic on both banks of the Moskva River outside the Kremlin, during heavy snowfall in downtown Moscow. AP Photo

New Russian road safety regulations bar transsexuals, transvestites and others with "sexual disorders" from driving.

The new regulations have been criticized by rights activists, who see them as unconstitutional and part of Russia's crackdown on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.

The government resolution, dated Dec. 29, lists numerous medical conditions that make someone ineligible for a driving license, including "mental and behavioral disorders" as defined by the World Health Organization.

The WHO classification includes "gender identity disorders" such as transsexualism and "disorders of sexual preference," including fetishism and voyeurism.

Human Rights First called it an "alarming violation of the rights of the transgender community" and "just another example of the Russian regime's methodical rollback of basic human rights for its citizens."