Indiana Youth Group's LGBT License Plate Pulled

Details: Category: LGBT Issues; Published on Saturday, 17 March 2012 19:09; Written by Lara Landis; Hits: 452

The Indiana BMV offered a LGBT license plate, but car owners can no longer buy the plate. The Indiana LGBT Youth Group was one of three organizations that had permission to offer specialty license plates revoked. Two other groups, the 4-H Foundation and the Greenways Foundation also had permission for license plates revoked.

Indiana legislators tried to influence the BMV to pull the license plate, but the decision came about because the group sold low numbered license plates in exchange for the largest contributions.

A house committee considered pulling the license plates from over thirty groups that sold less than 1,000 license plates last year.House members decided to form a committee to study each group instead of voting to revoke permission.

Mary Byrne, executive director of the Indiana Youth Group believes the decision to remove the license plate was caving into political pressure.

“[This was] absolutely politically motivated, absolutely targeting Indiana Youth Group. This has been happening for years. All these organizations and universities have been using the low-numbered plates as thank you gifts for years,” Byrne told RTV 6.

Social conservatives objected to the BMV issuing the plate. Mitch Clark, of the American Family Assocation took issue with the BMV issuing the plates.

“It has been said that you become a part of what you condone. The state should never have become a part of the Indiana Youth Group. Unfortunately, too few legislators took the time to look past the hysteria into what the organization does and intends to do with plate funds,” said Clark in a statement.

Sources:

I agree with the religious right

BMV Pulls LGBT Youth Group's Plate