DMV forces teen to remove his makeup before getting license

[Hum]

A transgender rights group is asking the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles to allow a gender non-conforming teen to retake his driver's license photo while wearing makeup.

Chase Culpepper -- a 16-year-old who wears makeup and androgynous or girls' clothing on a daily basis -- went to the DMV in Anderson on March 3 with his mother to get his driver's license after passing his driver's test, according to a press release obtained by The Huffington Post. However, he was told he couldn't be photographed while wearing makeup.

DMV employees said he did not look the way they thought a boy should, and one individual called his makeup a "disguise," the release notes. Culpepper ultimately removed his makeup and got his photo taken, but the experience left a mark.

?This is who I am and my clothing and makeup reflect that,? he says in the release. ?The Department of Motor Vehicles should not have forced me to remove my makeup simply because my appearance does not meet their expectations of what a boy should look like. I just want the freedom to be who I am without the DMV telling me that I?m somehow not good enough.?

On June 9, the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) sent a letter to the South Carolina DMV on behalf of Culpepper. The letter, which alleges the teen's constitutional rights were violated.

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[spikey_richie]

"If it says male [on the license], that's what they're gonna look for. They expect the photo to be of a man," she said. "If they stop somebody and they're dressed as a woman, they can straighten that out."

 

Made me lol.

[T3X4S]

Well , if he is going to look like that all the time, then the ID needs to reflect that in order to be a more accurate identification tool.

They dont tell women to remove makeup, or dress a certain way.

The fact it might not sit well with what others view as normal - doesnt mean crap.



On the flip side, if it says male, and has a pic of a gender-bending queen.. that can cause confusion... especially outside of San Fran :)

 

[Hum]

I hate it when I have to remove my mascara :/

[Original Poster]

I have no problem with those who wish to wear the opposite genders clothes and I thought I would disagree with this when I read the title of the post and rage about them making him remove his make up.. but I don, I completely agree whether he likes it or not he is a male and should reflect that in his photo if the police have any issues then thats for them to sort out. I am actually backing the DMV on this one

[Dotdot]

Until he`s legally recognized as being female, then sorry but make-up has to come off, even if you are wearing a to die for dress and the most divine heels!

[The Rev]

In all fairness, there is a way for "her" (no offense) to rectify the situation.  All she has to do (easier said than done, I'm sure, but not impossible) is have her legal gender listed on her birth certificate changed to female.  It sucks that things like this get in the way of people being who they feel they are, but there ARE avenues for this young woman to get what she wants out of this situation.

[Hum]

Until he`s legally recognized as being female, then sorry but make-up has to come off, even if you are wearing a to die for dress and the most divine heels!

I don't think the DMV photographs you below the waist. :wacko:

[_dandy_]

> The Department of Motor Vehicles should not have forced me to remove my makeup simply because my appearance does not meet their expectations of what a boy should look like

 

This kid's gonna be screaming bloody murder when he tries to get his passport picture taken.

[protocol7]

After reading the article, the irony is that the DMV are making him break the very clause they quoted:

 

"At no time can an applicant be photographed when it appears that he or she is purposefully altering his or her appearance so that the photo would misrepresent his or her identity."

 

They made him purposely alter his appearance to suit themselves. Now he won't look anything like his licence photo.

[Dotdot]

I don't think the DMV photographs you below the waist. :wacko:

Im not talking about them photographing his genitals, but unless he shows up with documentation or I.D. which states his gender as female, then hes a man, and thus no make-up in the photo he provides to them.

[Bryan R.]

Even though I don't require glasses to drive, I wear them most times. They required me to take them off for the picture for this reason. It makes sense.

[Brandon]

In all fairness, there is a way for "her" (no offense) to rectify the situation.  All she has to do (easier said than done, I'm sure, but not impossible) is have her legal gender listed on her birth certificate changed to female.  It sucks that things like this get in the way of people being who they feel they are, but there ARE avenues for this young woman to get what she wants out of this situation.

 

 

It's not a young woman though. It's a young man. I'll leave the argument on transgender issues for another thread, but as long as he still has a penis and testicles, he's a man and legally needs to identify as such.

 

As for the makeup... whatever. I'll side with the kid in the case. If he's going to dress like a female, then go for it and his photo should reflect this. 

 

That being said, I don't get the whole cross-dressing thing anyways. It's just social norms and everything. If as a society, men normally wore dresses and had long hair, then this boy would "rebel" and wear suit jackets and have short hair. 

[xrobwx71]

In regard to the comments about women wearing makeup or not. I thought it was the Vagina,ovaries, and uterus that made the women, not the makeup. (See what I did utilizing Capitalization?)  :shifty:

[Hum]

my license photo:

 

[timster]

transgendered? unless he's actually in the process of changing his gender, he's just a crossdresser.

[Hardcore Til I Die]

What are they going to do if a bald female goes in there, make her put on a wig? 

 

If a woman can have her photo taken wearing makeup, there's no reason any bloke shouldn't be able to. Makeup "disguises" both genders in the same way, so the "it's a disguise" assertion is ###### poor. 

 

They expect the guy in the photo to look like a man, but whenever this person is pulled over they will be dressed in women's clothing. 

 

This whole thing just screams stupid to me. It's nonsense. 

[Brandon]

 

'nuff said. 

[Rippleman]

a DMV photo is a representation photo of your likeness. using make up to change your identity is exactly what this is meant to prevent. This has nothing to do with gender or taste. It's ONLY purpose is to make you identifiable. That's it. Quit crying.

[Sparxy]

I'm not sure why a male wouldn't be allowed to wear makeup if a female would be allowed to wear makeup. Are there makeup laws in your country?

Also, if he always wears makeup in public, then wouldn't a photo with him wearing makeup be more representative of his usual looks than one without which he might almost never even look like in public?

[devn00b]

omg I should be up in arms and gather all the other hat wearers! I was at the dmv today and they made me take off my hat (True story)! Hat wearers we must unite and cry to some paper till we get in the news!!! 

 

Im all for gay/transgender/whatever the word is these days but come on..

[MikeChipshop Member]

It's a mind bending issue that's for sure!

On one one hand if (s)he normally wears makeup and identifies as a woman then surely the license photo should reflect this however the DMV's claim it 's a disguise could also be correct. Technically they could then go away with their new "Made up" photo and then stop wearing the makeup.

 

What it all boils down to is, were they hot?

 

 

my license photo:

 

 

 

Ladies and gentlemen, you CAN fix ugly! ;)

[FloatingFatMan]

Ladies and gentlemen, you CAN fix ugly! ;)

 

You're completely right, of course! As proved by the following photo of Hum before he donned the disguise!

 

[MikeChipshop Member]

You're completely right, of course! As proved by the following photo of Hum before he donned the disguise!

Also further proof that quality of posts is directly comparable to physical good looks. :p

[Original Poster]

In all fairness, there is a way for "her" (no offense) to rectify the situation.  All she has to do (easier said than done, I'm sure, but not impossible) is have her legal gender listed on her birth certificate changed to female.  It sucks that things like this get in the way of people being who they feel they are, but there ARE avenues for this young woman to get what she wants out of this situation.

it never said he identified as a her, just dressed like one