Alabama to recall vanity license plate containing gay slur ‘NOHOMO’

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A personalized license plate with a gay slur slipped past a review panel in Alabama, and the state said Thursday that it’s recalling the tag, which showed up in social media on photos of a black Mustang this week.

The license plate has the saying “NOHOMO,” a slang phrase used when the speaker does not want to appear gay. The state prohibits personalized tags with profane or vulgar messages, Alabama Department of Revenue spokeswoman Amanda Collier said.

The three-member review panel looks at about 4,000 requests a month for personalized plates, and this was a case of human error, Collier said.

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The department has sent a letter to the vehicle owner to recall the tag, Collier said. If the owner chooses, the department’s decision can be appealed, she said.

The license plate, registered in Montgomery County, was first issued in 2010, she said. The department became aware of it after a photograph of it began circulating on social media Monday.

Collier said the screening panel uses a dictionary with the latest slang and other tools to scrutinize tag requests, and a recall is rare. Department officials could not remember the last time it happened.

In 2013, the NBA fined Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert $75,000 for using the same slur and cursing at a news conference.