Italian wins gay driving ban case

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7503861.stm

 

An Italian court has ordered the government to pay 100,000 euros (£79,919) to a man who had to retake his driving test because he was gay.

 

Danilo Giuffrida, now 26, told doctors he was homosexual during a medical examination for military service.

 

The information was passed to the defence and transport ministries.

 

Mr Giuffrida was told to repeat his driving test or have his licence suspended because of his "sexual identity disturbance".

 

Mr Giuffrida passed his test for the second time but his licence was renewed for just one year rather than the usual 10 years because of his homosexuality.

 

A court in Catania, Sicily, ordered the ministries to pay damages on the basis that Mr Giuffrida's constitutional rights had been breached and that homosexuality could not be considered a "mental illness".

 

The judge said the actions of the ministries showed "evident sexual discrimination".

 

Mr Giuffrida welcomed the sentence as "a step forwards for civil rights."