LAKEWOOD, Ohio — It brings a smile to William Saki's face: his new personalized Ohio license plate, which reads "GAY."
The previously banned plate was granted to Saki following a lawsuit earlier this year.
The word had been on the Ohio BMV's banned list since 1996, classified among thousands of terms deemed "inappropriate" for personalized plates.
"Gay is who I am - It's a fact and I'm proud of that," Saki said. "To know the state was saying, 'No, we don't like that plate. It's offensive to us.' That's my free speech they're messing with at that point."
Saki received his personalized plate this fall and told News 5 he's proud to display it.
"I notice people pointing and taking photos when I drive by – it puts a smile on my face, I like it," Saki said. "I'll always remember this plate."
First Amendment attorney Brian Bardwell took on Saki's case, examining what he called the BMV's inconsistent guidelines for rejected plates.
"The guidelines were very squishy I think we could say," Bardwell said. "Somebody wanted Jack Daniels abbreviated and they allowed that but they wouldn't allow Jim Beam. Somebody wanted Zinfandel and that's fine but you couldn't have Cabernet."
Following a lawsuit earlier this year, the Ohio BMV agreed to grant Saki's plate request along with another for a plate reading "MUSLIM." According to court documents, the BMV also committed to reviewing its database and providing a pathway for people who feel their plate requests were improperly rejected.
Over the years, News 5 has covered the license plate requests that have been rejected by the Ohio BMV.
Check out last year's rejected list and watch that story below:
The Ohio BMV declined to comment for this story, citing ongoing litigation with the same attorney involving another license plate case currently in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Bardwell emphasized the broader significance of personalized license plates as a form of expression.
"It's meant to give people an opportunity to say who they are, what they are, what they care about, what animates them, this is the reason we have free speech in America," Bardwell said.
"The government can't take away free speech," Saki added. "I want [others] to know if they want a crazy license plate that isn't offensive to anyone, then they should be able to go and request that plate if no one already has that. Free speech is incredibly important and this is one way we can show that. "
Drivers can get a vanity plate by applying online or in person. The cost is $50.
