A teenage boy in South Carolina was required to remove his make-up after an official at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) said she could not take his picture for his first driving licence.
Chase Culpepper, 16, who describes himself as 'gender non-conforming' and wears make-up and women's clothing, says he regrets removing his make-up for the picture and feels discriminated against.
‘She said that I could not wear a disguise while having my photo taken and, according to her, me wearing make-up would be a disguise, and that I did not look like a boy should,’ Chase told WYFF. ‘It was very degrading. I was in shock.’
Chase’s mother said her son without make-up is not a true representation of his appearance: ‘This is who he is, and for him to not to have make-up on is a disguise in itself.’
Chase is now asking if he is allowed to have his photo retaken with make-up applied. The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund is supporting Chase in his appeal.
CNN contacted the DMV for comment and was told its policy since 2009 states that ‘at no time will an applicant be photographed when it appears that he or she is purposely altering his or her appearance so that the photo would misrepresent his or her identity.’
Picture: WYFF
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.