Men with high voices barred from Spain's Civil Guard
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 06:26:00 06/04/2008
MADRID -- Medical experts are urging Spain's government to revise the list of reasons for exclusion from the Civil Guard police force, which for men include having a high-pitched voice or just one testicle, a newspaper said Tuesday.
Candidates who suffer from psoriasis, stuttering, diabetes, migraine or sexually transmitted diseases can also be rejected, according to the requirements for joining the paramilitary force, El Pais said.
"It is possible to reject a candidate with a benign tumor, a scar or a deformity that affects his looks," said El Pais. "Lacking genitals or speaking with a high voice can also be an insurmountable barrier."
It cited the case of a man who was refused entry in 2003 due to a birthmark on his face, which the police authorities said would make him too recognizable.
Medical experts and patients' associations are urging the government to revise the list, which was reviewed as recently as 1996, El Pais said.
"They are pressing for changes to some regulations that they consider obsolete and are based more on prejudices from previous eras than on current scientific knowledge," the paper said.
