STRICT rules for personalised license plates in Ohio have been terminated after words like “GAY” and “MUSLIM” were previously rejected.
The move comes after an Ohio man filed a lawsuit after his request for a license plate that read “GAY” was rejected by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).
The strict ‘license plate law’ has been axed after drivers slammed ‘unconstitutional’ restrictions[/caption]
According to his complaint, the plate was immediately turned down as “Inappropriate/Invalid”.
Driver William Saki wanted a plate on his vehicle that read “GAY,” while Cyrus Mahdavi’s request was for “MUSLIM.”
It’s thought that the BMV had previously approved similar plates with words like “STR8” and “HETERO,” while rejecting “GAY” and “LESBIAN.”
Similarly, plates for other religions like “ATHEIST” and “HINDU” were approved, but “MUSLIM” and “JEW” were rejected.
The BMV has greed to allow a further 62,000 forbidden words in their database.
It will also provide details online for applicants who believe they have been improperly rejected.
“Judge Polster saw right through the BMV’s attempts to silence drivers it doesn’t agree with and ordered them to get back in line with the First Amendment,” said Bardwell in a statement.
“We’re incredibly grateful that he was able to reach a quick decision reaffirming Mr. Saki’s inalienable right to tell the truth about who he is, even when the governor doesn’t approve.
“We’re excited to see the BMV pull its act together, and we’ll be watching to make sure it doesn’t stray from the judge’s orders.”
“We got lucky with a judge who cut straight to the real question: Are gay Ohioans free to come out and live our lives without the government forcing us back into the closet?
Thankfully, our judge knew the right answer and ordered the BMV to let me say who I am,” Mr. Saki told The Buckeye Flame in a statement.
Following a recent court agreement, the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) is making some welcome changes to its personalized license plate policies.
The BMV acknowledged that it had made a mistake in rejecting certain plate applications.
As a result, the agency has now agreed to approve these plates and will review its records to unblock other words that were previously banned without a valid reason.
To ensure a fairer and more consistent process for everyone, the BMV is adopting a clearer standard for approving plates.
From now on, a plate can only be rejected if it is deemed “offensive, disparaging, or socially insensitive.”
This new rule is designed to prevent unfair decisions and provide a more straightforward system for all Ohio drivers.
As part of this change, the BMV will also be updating its website to explain the new rules and provide a clear way for people to appeal if they feel their plate request was unfairly rejected.
The BMV has since allowed a further 62,000 ‘forbidden’ words in their database[/caption]
