A college student, hoping to get a personalized license plate showing his gay pride with it reading “IM GAY”, was denied his request by the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

According to the commission’s regulations, words that “may be offensive to the general population” are banned from license plates.

Keith Kimmel is suing state officials after they denied his personalized plate, saying his First Amendment rights are being violated.

“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,” he told The Oklahoman.

Kimmel also points out the hypocrisy of the Tax Commission allowing plates that say “STR8FAN” and “STR8SXI”.

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

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Olivia Stephens