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  • Oklahoma

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.

Tagged with: Gay RightsNorman OKOklahoma
 

Tulsa man says he was beaten because he is gay

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.

Patrick

Three people followed Patrick down the 1300 block of South Rockford Avenue about 11:45 p.m., yelling homophobic slurs and threats, he said.

Patrick, who is gay, said he ignored the group until they closed in and then asked why they were accosting him without provocation.

The assailants then started beating, biting and slashing at Patrick with a blade, he said, leaving him with several cuts on his head and body.

The 23-year-old has been peppered with insults before, but he said he never thought they would escalate to violence.

“I’ve never felt scared or feared for my safety before,” he said. “You brush it off and walk on. That’s what you’re taught to do.” (more…)

Tagged with: AttackHate CrimeOklahomaTulsa