Gay vanity plates
Michelle Biddle-Rowland
costumer designer | Wyndmoor
&#;Yes, even if it’s an anti-LGBT message. If you’re gonna be a jerk, let the world perceive you’re a jerk. But you’re also gonna tolerate the consequences. You’re giving people fair notice that you’re a jerk. At least I’ll know I won’t want to be your friend.&#;
Levonne Lindsay
college professor | West Philadelphia
&#;Pro-LGBT messages are fine. They don’t infringe on anyone’s rights. But no anti-LGBT messages. People have a right not to see despise messages on license plates. Once we let that out in the earth, we’re regressing. It’s promoting hate. And it makes our society less civilized.&#;
Anna Small
fashion assistant | Northern Liberties
&#;Yes, I think in a free society, anything goes. Everybody has a right to express whatever they want, regardless of whether or not I agree with it. And people also have a right to be up in arms if they see an anti-LGBT license plate. I just desire they don’t cause an accident!&#;
Scott Stoddard
civil engineer | Queen Village
&#;Yes. I don’t like any kind of
Some irked over license plates that spell 'GAY'
Dozens of applications for personalized vanity license plates that are vulgar, racist, hateful or refer to official agencies like the CIA or FBI are rejected by the State of Florida every year.
But some Orange County residents are upset about an approved combination of letters that were recently given to drivers. The license plates in question spell out "GAY."
WFTV, our ABC affiliate in Orlando, spoke to Craig Lukas, who says he has left his modern Volvo in his garage for weeks because of what it says on his license plate.
“Plenty of combinations out there the state could hold used,” Lukas said. “Oversight on state as far as I'm concerned.”
Lukas believes the plate is slightly offensive, and he said state officials should be more sensitive.
“These plates have been vetted by the express, and we see no issue with them,” said the the Tax Collectors Office in a written statement.
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said if a customer is unhappy, they can exchange the plates.&
Orange County Tax Collector
Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph is fielding complaints from local auto dealerships because a driver protested after existence issued a license plate that starts with the letters “GAY.”
“These plates include been vetted by the state and we see no issue with them either,” Randolph said in a utterance to the media. “Nonetheless we’ve made it clear that if a customer is unhappy they can exchange their plate at our offices.”
Randolph told Watermark that he doesn’t know how many of the “GAY” license plates contain been issued because they’re delivered directly to an intermediary who processes dealer plates. He said the complaint stemmed from a customer who purchased his car from a Volvo dealership and now, other dealers have complained to the tax collector’s office.
According to WFTV, the person who filed the unique complaint is Craig Lukas, who happens to be queer and told Channel 9 he and his partner, “We just prefer to remain quiet.”
WFTV reports the Volvo dealership that is
First Gay License Plate
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Courtesy of Indiana Youth Group
We’ve all seen the DARE plates – and all the vanity plates. But in Indiana, drivers can now opt for an LGBT plate. The state recently introduced license plates that support an LGBT youth group in Indiana – the first “gay” plate in the country. The plates feature a logo from the youth organization – a hand with a rainbow. Drivers can pay $40 for the plates ($25 of which directly supports the organization).
But there was no shortage of controversy when the plates were first proposed two years ago. The group was initially turned down by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). So the youth group sued. And while the suit was dismissed, the DMV later approved the gay-themed plates with its charity component.
Now, Indiana is the first in the nation to issue such a plate.
So, would you invest in a license plate that supported LGBT causes? And if so, what would you l