The start of a new year brings with it sad and unfortunate news for the Russian LGBT community who, on the 29th of December, were faced with new rules concerning road safety. A decree signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev could mean that those considered to be afflicted with certain “mental health disorders” could face having their driving licences revoked, in an effort to reduce the number of road accidents. Unfortunately, these disorders, stipulated by the World Health Organisation’s classification of illnesses (or ICD-10), include “gender identity disorders” such as “transsexualism” and “dual-role transvestism” and “disorders of sexual preference” i.e. “fetishism” and “exhibitionism.”
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The Russian government seems to have been at war with the LGBT community for a long time, especially since 2013, when “promoting non-traditional lifestyles” became illegal in the country. Over the past few days I’ve read and heard so many opinions about this from my peers, mostly condemning the new rules. But I also see a lot of people defending Russia and it’s traditions, picking holes in the new decree and attempting to detract from the actual affects these will have. It’s no secret that rules like these, in countries with a fairly strong political opposition to the LGBT community, will use them to create more oppression and target minorities. Over the past year alone, we have made huge global strides forward in regards to acknowledging and accepting all types of gender and sexual orientation. But despite that, this isn’t the first instance of governments continuing to try and restrain sexual freedom and identity. One step forward, a million steps back! These new rules are completely inhumane and unjustified. It’s 2015! It’s time to stop discriminating, and time to start embracing who we are and exploring what it means to be a human being! A human being with rights!
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