Court Says Gay Man Can Drive

A Sicilian judge overturned the suspension of a drivers’ license on account of gayness, ruling that homosexuality is a mere personality disorder and not a true mental illness.

Court says gay man can drive (Reuters)

A Sicilian court condemned road authorities Monday for suspending the driving license of a man after finding out he was gay. The court on the Mediterranean island said being gay was merely “a personality disturbance” which had no bearing on a person’s ability to drive, Ansa news agency reported.

The 23-year-old man, who was identified as Danilo G., got into trouble with the road license authorities in the city of Catania after they discovered he had been exempted from military service because he was gay. The authorities suspended his driving license ahead of further checks on his “suitability” to take the wheel.

[…]

The judges added that homosexuality “cannot be considered a true and proper psychiatric illness, being a mere personality disturbance.” Homosexuality is legal in Italy, but openly anti-gay comments from politicians and officials rarely cause a stir.

Amazing.

FILED UNDER: Europe, Gender Issues, ,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Anderson says:

    Good thing he wasn’t trying to drive in Saudi Arabia.

  2. Steve Verdon says:

    So much for those enlightened Europeans. Sheesh.

  3. Mark says:

    So a foreign court has ruled that homosexuality is a “mere personality disturbance?”

    I cannot wait for Justice Breyer to quote this court decision.

    [/end sarcasm]