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Oklahoma man who sued over ‘IM GAY’ license plates died of accidental overdose

LGBTQ Nation • Friday, June 11, 2010 • Filed under: Oklahoma • Comments (0)

An Oklahoma man who sued the state over a proposed “IM GAY” license plate likely died of an accidental drug overdose, and not from injuries he allegedly received from Tulsa police officers.

Kimmel

According to an autopsy report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Keith Kimmel, 28, died on March 31 from acute oxycodone toxicity.

Reports the Tulsa World:

Days before his death, Kimmel complained to the Tulsa Police Department that officers had physically abused him. He said officers injured him when he was forced to leave a Tulsa gay club, the End Up, late March 26.
During Kimmel’s autopsy, a pathologist found a large “road rash” abrasion on his abdomen and other injuries but stated that no fatal trauma was identified.
Instead, Kimmel probably died from “acute oxycodone toxicity,” according to the report. That essentially means he took too many pain pills.

Kimmel sued the state in February after the Oklahoma Tax Commission turned down his request for an “IM GAY” license tag. The agency had said the tag could be offensive to the general public.

Previously from LGBTQ Nation:

Oklahoma man who sued for ‘IM GAY’ license plates found dead

LGBTQ Nation • Wednesday, March 31, 2010 • Filed under: Oklahoma • Comments (0)

Kimmel

An Oklahoma man who made headlines earlier this year when he sued the Oklahoma Tax Commission to have “I’M GAY” printed on his license plate, was found dead in his Norman, OK apartment Wednesday morning, just two days after filing a formal complaint against Tulsa Police for improper treatment during an incident over the weekend.

Keith Kimmel, 28, launched a legal battle last month when his request for the specialized plate was turned down because the agency felt it could be considered offensive to the general public.

Police are now investigating the cause of his death, and reviewing his complaint of police abuse over the weekend, which he detailed in a blog post on his website.

According to Kimmel, officers beat him while trying to make an arrest Friday at a Tulsa club; he spent the night in the hospital. Continue reading…

Previously from LGBTQ Nation:

Oklahoma man suing state for rejecting ‘IM GAY’ vanity license plate

LGBTQ Nation • Sunday, February 14, 2010 • Filed under: Oklahoma • Comments (0)

Kimmel

An Oklahoma man is suing the state for rejecting his application for a personalized license plate that proclaims IM GAY.

“I want to tell people who I am and what I am. I’m proud of it. I’m openly gay. I’m not hiding,” said Keith Kimmel.
“What better way to tell everybody than to put it on the back of a car?

The Oklahoma Tax Commission turned down Kimmel’s request for the vanity tag because of an internal rule against special license tags that “may be offensive to the general public,” according to the Oklahoman.

Kimmel points out officials allowed tags such as STR8FAN and STR8SXI.

“They defended using ‘straight sexy’” said Kimmel. “They didn’t think that one was inappropriate but yet ‘I’m gay’ is. I think it’s kind of a double standard.”

Kimmel, 28, a Norman OK resident, is a political science-pre-law student at Oklahoma City Community College, and filed the suit Wednesday in Oklahoma County District Court hoping the court will order tax officials to grant his application for the IM GAY plate.

Previously from LGBTQ Nation:

Tulsa man says he was beaten because he is gay

LGBTQ Nation • Tuesday, October 20, 2009 • Filed under: Around the Nation, Oklahoma • Comments (0)

TULSA, OK — What should have been a 10-minute walk to a friend’s house ended with a trip to the hospital for Brandon Patrick, a Tulsan who said he was severely beaten Sunday night because of his sexual orientation, reports the Tulsa World.