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"Gays are OK" is OK
Elizabeth Solomon had to go to court to win the right to express herself on a vanity license plate. Apparently, the state of Utah takes exception to the notion that "GAYSROK," and even to the concept of "GAYRYTS." Judge Jane Phan disagrees:
"The narrow issue before us is whether a reasonable person would believe the terms 'gays are OK' and 'gay rights' are, themselves, offensive to good taste and decency. It is the conclusion of the commission that a reasonable person would not," Phan wrote.
But the story isn't over, as Utah is considering an appeal. A public servant at the Utah DMV explains why:
"It kind of opens up the door for all types of people who want to make a license plate a public forum, for every initiative," he said.
I'm sure Rick Santorum would agree that once the courts approve of GAYRYTS, it won't be long before license plates start promoting BSTLITY and PLYGAMY.
Story here; link via Lindsay Beyerstein.
|7.28.05 @ 8:15PM|#
I think I'd like "SNTORUM" as a license plate. Assuming, of course, that the WA Dept. of Licensing doesn't know what it means.
|7.28.05 @ 8:18PM|#
If you've got an agenda, get a bumper sticker.
I'm opposed to vanity plates, even as a voluntary excess
contribution to the State DMV. The line-drawing games as in Utah
are inevitable, and may well cost the State more in prosecutions
and bureacracy than the extra revenue can sustain.
|7.28.05 @ 8:46PM|#
"It kind of opens up the door for all types of people who
want to make a license plate a public forum, for every initiative,"
he said.
And what's wrong with that?
|7.28.05 @ 8:54PM|#
Off-topic, but I haven't seen it much of anywhere on the web yet
and it seems right up H&R's alley--the debate rages over
"middle finger" or "thumb":
http://forums.therandirhodesshow.com/index.php?showtopic=60094
On-topic, my only proper response is WTFDUDE.
|7.28.05 @ 8:55PM|#
Then, Syd, would you object to me replacing my ID card (or driver license) with a rainbow-colored chocolate-coated 3-speed talking dildo? The DMV photo just doesn't capture my essence.
|7.28.05 @ 9:00PM|#
The State should either stick to issuing random plates, or have
absolutely no censorship regarding the lettering on vanity plates.
It should not be the role of government to decide what message is
offensive and what isn't.
I doubt the people of Utah would tolerate a plate plate that says
"FCK BUSH" so I have to agree with Dynamist. Get rid of vanity
plates all together, and if you have an issue, slap on a bumper
sticker.
|7.28.05 @ 9:07PM|#
I think I'd like "SNTORUM" as a license plate. Assuming, of
course, that the WA Dept. of Licensing doesn't know what it
means.
It means "Big self-righteous asshole with control issues",
right?
Or do you mean the other definition?
Either way, it's not appropriate for children to be reading about
in traffic.
|7.28.05 @ 9:13PM|#
Is it just me or does Andrew Napolitano look like a troll doll in that picture on the righthand side of the page?
|7.28.05 @ 9:34PM|#
I think she doesn't notice, but her license plate has a much cooler meaning: GAYSROK = Gays Rawk!
|7.28.05 @ 9:35PM|#
GAYSROK = Gays are OK?
Are you sure it doesn't mean that "Gays ROCK!!!"?
'Cause they do, you know.
|7.28.05 @ 9:37PM|#
"It kind of opens up the door for all types of people who
want to make a license plate a public forum, for every initiative,"
he said.
I thought the punch line to this was going to be something like
RYTOLIFE. They would never allow something CRAZY like that, would
they?
I also object to the whole thang where license plates are about
everything except licensing a vehicle. It starts out with cute
little phrases, next thing you know they're selling different
themed plates to raise money for 50 different causes, and then
someone gets in a tizzy because their cause is excluded. Best just
not to have them at all.
|7.28.05 @ 9:40PM|#
Randolph Carter and Trey: I had seen a story about this somewhere earlier, and it didn't even occur to me that it could mean "Gays are OK" until I saw this headline. I just assumed the rocking.
Daniel Koffler|7.28.05 @ 9:44PM|#
I agree that gays rock. I was going with the judge's interpretation. And I do find vanity plates irritating.
|7.28.05 @ 9:45PM|#
As we all know, that who merely seem to be supporting homosexual equality "Gays R Ok", are actually preaching gayness as a preferable lifestyle choice to heterosexuality "Gays Rock". They want to convert your children, I say.
|7.28.05 @ 10:13PM|#
When I first read this story on another site, I thought it was
"Gays Rock" too. I guess that's a succinct statement for Pet Shop
Boys or Frankie Goes to Hollywood fans.
Since we're having fun with vanity plates and mashed-together
wording (wished this one fitted on a vanity plate), write the
following on a piece of paper and ask your theistic friends what
sentence it spells out:
GODISNOWHERE
9 times out of 10, I find that even the staunchest fundies read it
as
GOD IS NOWHERE
as opposed to
GOD IS NOW HERE
which, when I point it out to them, really fucks with their minds
because maybe you revealed some subconcious disbelief deep within
their psyches.
Sorry. Been reading too many vanity plates on the road. The
consonant amalgamations are driving me crazy ...
LBTARIN
bruce|7.28.05 @ 10:48PM|#
To those saying use "bumper stickers instead," why is a bumper
sticker that says, for example, "FUCK JEWS" any less offensive than
a vanity plate that says "FUCKJEWS"? And don't say because the
state is sponsoring the license plate. They're likely using prison
labor to manufacture them, but it's the speech that is either
sponsored or not, and if people pick what goes on the plate there
is absolutely no government sponsorship. It's when censorship gets
rolling that sponsorship or (more accurately) negative-sponsorship
of speech is endorsed.
That's ironic because when a DMV bureaucrat gets to arbitrarily
decide what vanity plate submissions are offensive and people know
this, then there is a presumption that any approved plate DOES have
the sponsorship of the state. But if a plate can say whatever you
want it to, just like a bumper sticker placed 2 inches away, then
nobody would presuppose state sponsorship or endorsement of the
speech espoused on the vanity plate.
The same people who would say "GAYISOK" is offensive are the same
people who are probably driving around with a state-issued pro-life
license plate that says (and was approved without question)
"GAYSTOHELL" (or something along those lines that fits on the
plate).
|7.28.05 @ 11:05PM|#
Vanity plates are another sign of the downfall of civilization,
promoted by self-centered individualists.
I BLM NTCHE
|7.28.05 @ 11:55PM|#
Be careful what you approve of today. In Missouri a couple of
years ago, the DMV was forced by the courts to issue a vanity plate
"ARYAN1".
If this is the type of political discourse you want on drivers'
license plates, brace yourself for things much more socially
unacceptable than homosexual politics.
Rob D.|7.29.05 @ 1:38AM|#
Dan, is that the type of faith you have in human beings? Yeah,
if we let this happen, we'll be back to Jim Crow laws right.
Because we all know the government was the only factor that
contributed to ending slavery.
The fact that only 2 parties are allowed to debate in this country
could maybe tell you something about why these plates exist in the
first place.
b-psycho|7.29.05 @ 1:51AM|#
If you're paying for it, you should be able to put whatever the
hell you want on your plates.
I for one wish to have the following: FUH CUE
|7.29.05 @ 6:15AM|#
Mad Scientist--
Is that real, or Photoshopped? I didn't know it was POSSIBLE to
install a license plate upside-down.
|7.29.05 @ 6:23AM|#
Jennifer, I have no idea. A friend sent me this picture and who knows where she got it. It looks real enough to me. The holes in Cali plates are symmetrical top and bottom so nothing would prevent you from mounting it upside down. I wonder if there's a law stating that you have to mount it right side up? This blonde sure has a sense of humor, but will the cops appreciate it?
|7.29.05 @ 7:58AM|#
Why is it as soon as gays achieve some sort of free expression,
critics say the floodgates are about to open on bestiality and
polygamy. They get picked on as apparently the most heinous. Let's
explore the realm of offensive (Sexual related) license plates
shall we
DOMNATX
LVSLAVE
BUKKAKE
SCTSTYL
ILUV69
ANLDLDO
or even the boring
PENIS
VAGINA
they both fit on license plates.
I'm not sure if I had a point, but I do like to explore how
offensive I can be.
|7.29.05 @ 8:02AM|#
Be careful what you approve of today. In Missouri a couple
of years ago, the DMV was forced by the courts to issue a vanity
plate "ARYAN1".
If this is the type of political discourse you want on drivers'
license plates, brace yourself for things much more socially
unacceptable than homosexual politics.
what's wrong with that? he's advertising himself as a racist. so
what. I can walk around with a bedsheet cone on my head in the
middle of Harlem and I'm not doing anything wrong, though I'll
probably be shot. There's a certain public distaste for such
things, but license plate profanity is by far pretty benign.
|7.29.05 @ 8:16AM|#
Ideally, it would be great if everyone could freely express
themselves without harm.
In reality, though, if someone was to have something that says
"Gays Rock" on their car, I would bet my life's savings that some
asshole will slash the tires, bust in the tail-lights, etc.. and
there's absolutely nothing the car owner can do about it.
Common sense..
|7.29.05 @ 8:18AM|#
Ideally, it would be great if everyone could freely express
themselves without harm.
In reality, though, if someone was to have something that says
"Gays Rock" on their car, I would bet my life's savings that some
asshole will slash the tires, bust in the tail-lights, etc.. and
there's absolutely nothing the car owner can do about it.
Common sense..
Freedom expression comes with the risk of violent disagreement.
Tolerance is hardly overnight.
|7.29.05 @ 8:28AM|#
LiT:
I agree to your statement. However, given a finite amount of energy
and time, what is better: participating in protests, marches, ad
campaigns, etc, or constantly finding alternate ways of
transportation, calling tow trucks in the middle of the night, and
knowing that evil fuckheads get their jollies and escape
scot-free?
|7.29.05 @ 8:30AM|#
Mr. Nice Guy-
I think it would be pretty dumb to have a license plate that
attracts tire slashing. But I also think that some idiots need to
learn their lessons the hard way.
So I'm all in favor of free speech on license plates.
B.D.|7.29.05 @ 8:54AM|#
I'll stick to sayings on t-shirts. That way I can wear it when I
want to talk and leave it at home when I don't. Like my
"Christianity is stupid: Give up" shirt. I've had some long
conversations wearing that one...and some short, heated ones as
well.
I don't have a problem with the vanity plates, even if I find the
message offensive.
Highway|7.29.05 @ 9:09AM|#
Mad Scientist, you'd think that could only happen in California,
but that's actually a new style Maryland plate: black letters on
white, black "Maryland" in script.
I'd go with forcing everyone to have the standard boring
letter-number combination on the plates, but we couldn't lose out
on all that revenue, could we!
|7.29.05 @ 10:10AM|#
Vanity plates generate revenue from people who are willing to
pay extra. Why are libertarians upset?
(Yes, I know, if license plates weren't required by law then not
all vanity plate holders would get them, and others would get
ornamental plates from competing private sources. But, all things
considered, vanity plates still strike me as the sort of things
that libertarians should encourage government to pursue.)
Amy Phillips|7.29.05 @ 10:20AM|#
There's a guy who lives in my building whose license plates read: DADDYSBOI. His boyfriend has license plates reading BOISDADDY. They're on the verge of breaking up, so if anyone wants DC plates with either of those monikers, they'll probably be available soon.
|7.29.05 @ 10:44AM|#
Vanity plates are beyond stupid. The purpose of a plate is only
to show a cop that you're paid up and to make it easy to track
people who either didn't put another quarter in the meter or got
caught by traffic nanny cams. Should we get vanity parking passes,
vanity inspection stickers, vanity beach permits, etc.?
Let's see, given a couple thousand pounds of metal canvas, I need
to make a statement in under seven letters that no one will
understand, makes it easy for the psycho that takes everything
personally to identify and provides the cops with a mnemonic. Yeah,
that's a good plan.
If you are going to get a vanity plate the least you could do is to
try and make it hard to read or hard to remember like I11II1. But
if you just want to pull one off on the DMV go for the pair FULBA6
and ILBA9, or get creative and go for mirrors like 3M TA3
|7.29.05 @ 11:21AM|#
thesmokinggun.com has a fantastic list of vanity license plate rejects, and complaint letters by idiots to the DMV. My favorite was a lady bitching about BEARLVR.. apparently a "bear" is a hairy gay man.
B.D.|7.29.05 @ 11:30AM|#
I agree with Thoreau, if someone wants to pay for the stupid
things, then what difference does that make to the
libertarian?
Now, if I could only get the state of Washington to meet me half
way and A) not require a plate on the front of my car and B) not
require me to replace my plates every 8 years...
Steve M|7.29.05 @ 11:58AM|#
Of course, Florida has like 100 different 'official' plates; one of them, 'Choose Life,' was approved by the courts, as the state argued it was not endorsing any specific position.
muchsarcasm|7.29.05 @ 12:12PM|#
I used to love "Bumper Stumpers". Best license plate I ever
saw:
3M TA3
(Hint: Imagine seeing it in your rearview.)
|7.29.05 @ 1:25PM|#
PENIS
I totally want that for my license plate now. I would soooo be the
coolest kid on the block.
FULBA6 and ILBA9
Eddy,
What do those mean? Pardon my ignorance/naivity.
Eddy, you also make a good point about why vanity plates are stupid
(making yourself and your car obvious -- and sometimes offensive --
to many people and certain undesirables.) But I do have to say that
vanity plates are vanity plates because they're stupid and
pointless. You don't need a reason to have vanity plates. To
paraphrase Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: "Candy
(i.e. vanity plates) doesn't need to have a point -- that's why
it's candy (vanity plates)".
Personally, I have been contemplating getting Eleet-speak vanity
plates....something on the lines of, "IRTEHOWN" or "STFU".
|7.29.05 @ 2:19PM|#
Then, Syd, would you object to me replacing my ID card (or
driver license) with a rainbow-colored chocolate-coated 3-speed
talking dildo? The DMV photo just doesn't capture my essence.
Comment by: Dynamist at July 28, 2005 08:55 PM
As long as I'm there the first time you try to cash a check with
it.
|7.29.05 @ 2:38PM|#
FULBA6 and ILBA9
I believe that's supposed to mean, "If you'll be a 6, I'll be a 9."
It's part of a series.
|7.29.05 @ 3:57PM|#
Thanks, Mo. I figured it was part of a "69" joke, but for some reason my eyes aren't deciphering visual puns very well today.
|7.29.05 @ 5:22PM|#
Thanks for the update, Highway. Ammended: Only in
Maryland.
Eddy, what possible difference does it make if someone wants to
have something special written on their license plate? You have
this expensive vehicle and the state mandates that you have to put
this ugly piece of metal on it, so you may as well make it
something "personal" since you have the option, so that the ugly
piece of metal is marginally less annoying. If someone wants to
promote gay rights or protest abortion or show allegiance to
Hitler, what difference does it make? The state isn't sanctioning
anything other than free speech, and if people can't tell the
difference they need to get an education. (Vanity plates
demonstrate why we need to abolish public education!) Since people
are voluntarily paying for vanity plates, I figure my taxes are one
penny less for every one I see. (Of course I already spent all
those pennies on a plate for my Italian motorcycle that says
"SPAG8TI")
|7.29.05 @ 7:13PM|#
thoreau and B.D.: If you can demonstrate that the excess revenue
compensates fully the bureaucrats and litigations which arise,
you'll still be stuck with some additonal state control over
speech.
REDACTED
|7.29.05 @ 11:10PM|#
If you can demonstrate that the excess revenue compensates
fully the bureaucrats and litigations which arise, you'll still be
stuck with some additonal state control over speech.
Which is why I propose that the gov't innoculate itself against
lawsuits by allowing people to put anything they want on their
plates as long as nobody else has the same plate number. 100%
content-neutral.
|7.30.05 @ 6:23PM|#
Eddy, what possible difference does it make if someone wants
to have something special written on their license
plate?
It doesn't, I just think it's stupid. I actually don't see any real
reason to have a plate in the first place other than to placate the
tax man's muscle and catch stupid car thieves.
I figure my taxes are one penny less for every one I
see.
I doubt it but we can hope it's not just lining a pols pocket. Oh,
sorry for the late response, I've had OS issues.
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