Reuters:
Man sues Georgia for blocking ‘GAYGUY’ vanity license plate
Man sues Georgia for blocking ‘GAYGUY’ vanity license plate
By David Beasley
ATLANTA, Jan 23 (Reuters) – An Atlanta man is suing the state of Georgia after his application for a vanity license plate that he said described his sexual orientation was denied.
State officials turned down the three text choices – 4GAYLIB, GAYPWR and GAYGUY – that James Cyrus Gilbert, 30, submitted on Jan. 2 for a personalized tag, according to a lawsuit filed this month against the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
Georgia offers drivers the opportunity to purchase “prestige license plates” for their cars for an extra $35 fee. But the state prohibits any tag that “may adversely affect public safety or is offensive, profane, or defamatory in nature,” according to the license plate application.
All three phrases requested by Gilbert are on the state’s “bad tag” list, said the lawsuit, which claims Georgia has violated his First Amendment right to free speech.
“I am a gay man,” Gilbert said on Wednesday. “I am a taxpayer. I pay my bills just like everyone else. If I want to have ‘GAYGUY’ or ‘GAYPOWER’ on my license plate, I should be able to do that.”
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The State of Georgia is entitled to the very same “freedom of speach” right. It doesn’t belong to just those who choose to cite it when it’s conveient to their own wants. The denial was nothing more than the state of Georga’s “freedom of speach” granted rebuttal to another who spoke freely to the state of Georgia with their request.
I’m glad I’m gay and secure enough with myself that I have no dire need to make sure that everyone else knows about it. Plus I understand that rights are for all American citizens gay, straight or whatever else there is out there.