A 16-year-old in South Carolina sued the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) on Tuesday because the agency won't allow him to take a driver's license photo wearing makeup.
Chase Culpepper regularly wears makeup and either androgynous or women's clothing. During a news conference Tuesday at the Statehouse in Columbia, he told reporters that being ordered by officials to remove what they called a disguise was degrading. After passing his driving test in March, Culpepper went to get his license at a DMV office in Anderson, about 100 miles northwest of Columbia. That day, as is the case every day, Culpepper wore makeup and women's clothing.
But the agency wouldn't let Culpepper wear makeup for a photo because of a policy that bans license pictures when someone is purposefully altering his or her appearance. After several attempts, Culpepper says the makeup was removed to the satisfaction of DMV employees, and a license photo was ultimately taken. In June, a New York group known as the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund wrote to DMV officials, asking that Culpepper be allowed to have a new photo taken that's more reflective of his daily attire. The agency refused, citing DMV policy saying that "at no time will an applicant be photographed when it appears that he or she is purposely altering his or her appearance so that the photo would misrepresent his or her identity."
-- It's so honestly sickening that we still aren't allowed to express ourselves as indivudals.
While I do agree that self expression is extremely important, I can also see how it might be an issue if the makeup is altering the appearance of the citizen. If a city official needed to identify this person in case of emergency, it is important the picture looks true to ones physical appearance. In this particular case, assuming the picture represents what her makeup looked like at the time, I do think that the DMV officials were being a bit too harsh as it doesn't seem to alter her appearance in any way.. but rather enhance.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with you. And although I do see Madison's point, I think that if Culpepper walked into that building to take her photo in her everyday look, she should have been allowed to do so.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Madison, that does seem really harsh, especially if that is her everyday appearance.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Maddison, this is not fair. If this is how she looks everyday then it shouldn't have been a problem.
ReplyDeleteThe DMV officials should have allowed Culpepper to take the photo with the makeup and clothes since that is the way she looks on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteIf Chase Culpepper usually wears makeup and it is how he wants to be identified then the state should except that and realize that it would be more helpful for the photo to be taken with how he usually looks. This goes against his basic human rights.
ReplyDeleteI understand where the DMV is coming from by saying he can't wear a disguise in his picture. However, if he on a daily basis is wearing make up and dressing that way, then aren't you making him put on a "disguise" by making him take it all off for the picture. If and when he needs to use his license, no one will recognize him and it will cause him further issues.
ReplyDeleteI understand the way that the DMV is thinking, yet I agree with the people in these comments that say he has the right to wear makeup in his picture. It is his everyday look and he is not disguising himself.
ReplyDeleteNot only does this completely enrage me, but the DMV's logic is completely backwards. Wouldn't they want the picture to reflect his everyday attire? Wouldn't a government official be more confused if they were checking his id and the picture was completely different than how he actually looked?
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is a little outrageous but to sue a government agency? That is a lot more outrageous...
ReplyDeleteIf Chase wants to wear makeup for his licenses he should be allowed! That is like saying we cannot wear makeup for our student id's and yearbook pictures! Some people really make me sick, that they cannot find the slightest tolerance for someone who is expressing themselves, no matter how different they are from them!! Can America be America, without discrimination!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWell the main problem with this is that him dressing like that his normal. If they don't let him dress like that for his picture than he's going to get pulled over, the cops won't recognize him in the picture, and he'll just get in more trouble. So it kind of back fires.
ReplyDelete-Trevor Haueisen 6th