South Carolina DMV tells gender non-conforming teen to remove makeup

[Top Cat]

(CNN) -- A transgender rights advocacy group says the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles restricted a teen's free speech rights by asking him to remove his makeup for a driver's license photo.
Sixteen-year-old Chase Culpepper went to take his driver's test in Anderson in March.
Chase considers himself "gender non-conforming," he told CNN affiliate WYFF. He regularly wears makeup and girl's clothes.
After passing his driver's test, Chase went to take his photo for his license. But an employee at the office asked him to remove his makeup.
The employee told Chase he couldn't wear "a disguise" and didn't look "like a boy should," the teen told the affiliate


CNN reached out to the state DMV and was told it had a policy specifying the requirements for the photograph.
"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," the policy says.
"That's been the policy since August of 2009," spokeswoman Beth Park said.
"Stage makeup is not acceptable because it can be used to alter appearance. Regular everyday makeup is accepted because it's used to highlight or hide blemishes," she said.
The Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund is now asking that the DMV allow Chase to retake his photo.
"His freedom to express his gender should not be restricted by the DMV staff," the fund's executive director, Michael Silverman, said.
"He is entitled to be who he is and to express that without interference from government actors."

From the Redskins ruling to this... And now we have the other end of the spectrum of political correctness. I get the disguise idea. But clearly this isn't about disguise per se. The DMV is just wrong on this.

[video]http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2014/06/18/pkg-transgender-teen-told-to-remove-makeup-by-dmv.wyff.html[/video]

 

[Lutherf]

Doesn't seem unreasonable at all. Same reason they usually don't allow hats and sunglasses.

 

[Top Cat]

Doesn't seem unreasonable at all. Same reason they usually don't allow hats and sunglasses.

Gee and it happened in South Carolina? Imagine that?

 

[Lutherf]

Gee and it happened in South Carolina? Imagine that?

I'm pretty sure that most states require a picture on their drivers license and that costumes or costume type stuff is universally prohibited.

 

[Redress]

I'm pretty sure that most states require a picture on their drivers license and that costumes or costume type stuff is universally prohibited.

Makeup is a costume now?

 

[Top Cat]

I'm pretty sure that most states require a picture on their drivers license and that costumes or costume type stuff is universally prohibited.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on. The kid is transgender and someone got their ass in the air because they were uncomfortable.

 

[Lutherf]

Makeup is a costume now?

If he had something simple maybe not but if he was dressed as a female then yes.

 

[AliHajiSheik]

I'm sure glad that is a guy, because my first thought was: "That's a man, baby".

It's not like he's wearing makeup like Mimi from Drew Carey or the Insane Clown Posse. They are just harassing him/her/it.

 

[Top Cat]

I'm sure glad that is a guy, because my first thought was: "That's a man, baby".

It's not like he's wearing makeup like Mimi from Drew Carey or the Insane Clown Posse. They are just harassing him/her/it.

It? As in Cousin It?

 

[AliHajiSheik]

It? As in Cousin It?

I didn't watch closely so I don't know which pronoun reference they have chosen, but if he/she/it is your cousin perhaps you can enlighten us.

 

[shrubnose]

Makeup is a costume now?

It can be and has been for some time.

 

[shrubnose]

Anyone who doesn't want to play by the DMV's rules can leave their vehicle in their garage.

Driving is a privilege, not a right.

 

[Bob Blaylock]

Makeup is a costume now?

When it is someone rather overtly disguising one's appearance, such as a man disguised as a woman, then, clearly, yes.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Doesn't seem unreasonable at all. Same reason they usually don't allow hats and sunglasses.

Nonsense. I would imagine that many are allowed to have their ID picture taken wearing makeup. Probably even colored contact lenses and hair dye are generally acceptable.

 

[Top Cat]

I didn't watch closely so I don't know which pronoun reference they have chosen, but if he/she/it is your cousin perhaps you can enlighten us.

You don't remember Cousin It?

 

[Top Cat]

It can be and has been for some time.

Look, the idea is to be able to identify the person. In this case, he wears makeup all the time.

 

[Lutherf]

Nonsense. I would imagine that many are allowed to have their ID picture taken wearing makeup. Probably even colored contact lenses and hair dye are generally acceptable.

Wearing makeup...normal stuff...is usually fine but there are limits and they're pretty standard. A male dressing as a female would probably be well outside the limits anywhere.

 

[shrubnose]

But not when he gets his picture taken at the DMV apparently.

 

[VanceMack]

I sure hope the title is wrong. The DMV should not have made him take his makeup off. They should have let him keep it on and choose not to get his drivers license. Or, choose to comply with the rules and get his license. Choice is a wonderful thing.

 

[Amandi]

If his identity is wearing make-up, it would be a disguise to not wear it. If the pictures shown are the level of make-up that he was wearing then it wasnt over the top to me. Chase's supporters should push to have the SC DMV make clearer guidlines.

 

[Amandi]

Wearing makeup...normal stuff...is usually fine but there are limits and they're pretty standard. A male dressing as a female would probably be well outside the limits anywhere.

Actually not in quite a few states. Requiring someone to dress a certain way according to their gender would be considered sex discrimination in a lot of states.

 

[Amandi]

Anyone who doesn't want to play by the DMV's rules can leave their vehicle in their garage.

Driving is a privilege, not a right.

I do agree with this. Obey the rules and push to have them changed if you dont agree with them.

 

[dirtpoorchris]

If he had something simple maybe not but if he was dressed as a female then yes.

If a girl can wear makeup then they cant stop this guy... Who made you king of all the piles of **** to decree what is female and what is not, in terms of outfit? If a guy feels like wearing a little chung-li skirt from street fighter how is this a costume if the person is wearing it out of normalcy? Hes not trying to make himself like another, false person. He actually conforming to the rules if this is how he goes out normally.

 

[Lutherf]

If a girl can wear makeup then they cant stop this guy... Who made you king of all the piles of **** to decree what is female and what is not, in terms of outfit? If a guy feels like wearing a little chung-li skirt from street fighter how is this a costume if the person is wearing it out of normalcy? Hes not trying to make himself like another, false person. He actually conforming to the rules if this is how he goes out normally.

He can be his own person on his own time. If there's a given standard then people need to deal with it. You can't run an operation like the DMV if everyone gets to make up their own rules.

This clown is no more special than anybody else no matter how much he, you or the whole damned pick your gender crowd wants to make him out to be.

 

[HogWash]

Doesn't seem unreasonable at all. Same reason they usually don't allow hats and sunglasses.

Or burkas or halloween masks or groucho marx eyebrows, noses an mustaches or hoodies.