Russia Makes a U Turn on the Trans Driving Policy

[Wynternight]

After becoming the laughing stock of the world Russia decides maybe they've gone too far this time:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/14/us-russia-lgbt-driving-idUSKBN0KN23220150114

From Reuters.

Liisa Tuhkanen 14-1-15

[Beth Andrea]

..."Decisions on driving bans are made by a psychiatric commission," said Kseniya Kirichenko, a lawyer and a board member of the Russian LGBT Network.

"I find it hard to believe that, even in Russia, any psychiatrist could come to the conclusion that transgender people are not fit to drive. Of course it won't happen."...

Actually, in any authoritarian government (and all gov'ts are authoritarian to one degree or another), all it would take is to jail (or to revoke the licenses of) psychiatrists for being "unfit" to practice because they don't agree with the State's opinions about certain groups of people, and suddenly one sees all kinds of medical books and articles being written to justify State oppression.

Then again...maybe I should trust the gov't. I know! I'll go to the rez and ask a Native American...[ /sarcasm]

[rachel89]

If you have seen any of the "only in Russia" videos on YouTube, you will find that that an LGBT driving ban is completely ridiculous, because it is not inclusive enough. Rather than just targeting just LGBT people, a driving ban should apply to all persons in Russia (and non-persons, for anyone who decides to put a bear behind the wheel)
BTW, a similar ban should apply to Ohio drivers.

[Monika1223]

Russia is such a huge country I would love to travel all over it if the people were not so 

But it doesn't have a safe highway system anyways and russian drivers in general are insane and dangerous.

[Felix]

I feel for people who live there, but Russia has been the laughingstock of the developed world for a long time and they rarely fail to entertain. It would be awesome if it wasn't real.