California DMV says no to "Leather Daddy" vanity plate

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February 22, 2019 | Sex & Society

California DMV says no to "Leather Daddy" vanity plate

LTHR DDY plate

Who doesn't like a little leather? California's Department of Motor Vehicles, that's who.

The state DMV said no to Robert Haynes' desire for a license plate that said "LTHR DDY." The reason: the wording was too "sexual" and could be read "as a term of lust or depravity."

"I understood when I submitted this the term could be controversial. But for it to be a lustful or depraved reference is missing the scope of leather culture," Haynes argued. "And it is kind of endemic of how people take leather culture from the outside and immediately relate it to sexual as being exclusive to the entire lifestyle."

"I would expect this perhaps in other parts of the country," he added. "But I really thought California was a little more open-minded and less dualistic in seeing everything as a good and bad binary if you will."

Haynes reached out to gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco). Wiener said the decision was homophobic and demanded the DMV reconsider.

"If it doesn't, I will turn this into a big deal," Wiener promised. "If this is an intentional decision, and I am hoping it is not, but if the agency stands by this decision that is a big problem. That would be very disrespectful of the LGBT community and leather community, and frankly, would be homophobic."

DMV officials are currently drafting a response to the Senator's letter. Maybe some time in a sling will change their minds!