Czechs defend gay arousal testing

THE Czech government has rejected EU criticism of its use of a test of the credibility of gay asylum seekers.

The Vienna-based European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights said the Czech Republic is the only known EU country to use so-called “phallometric testing”. The method tests whether men seeking asylum on the grounds of homosexuality are sexually aroused by heterosexual pornographic material.

The Czech Interior Ministry said that the testing is conducted only after written consent had been obtained, and when it was not possible to use a different method of verification.