Man Who Demanded 'IM GAY' License Plate Found Dead
- By
- On Top Magazine Staff
- | April 01, 2010
Keith Kimmel, the Oklahoma gay man who was suing for the right to display his sexuality on a license plate, was found dead Wednesday morning, Tulsa CW affiliate KOTV reported.
Kimmel's request for a personalized 'IM GAY' license plate was turned down by the Oklahoma Tax Commission last year. He sued the commission, saying the right to display his sexuality on a license plate was protected free speech.
Oklahoma has issued similar plates for straight people, including 'STR8SXI' and 'STR8FAN.'
A Wednesday posting on Kimmel's Facebook page says: “There is no way easy to say this. Keith has been staying with me for a few days, and this morning at 7:45AM I found him dead in my living room chair.”
Norman police have confirmed they are investigating the death but provided few details.
On Monday, Kimmel filed a complaint against Tulsa police. In the complaint, Kimmel claims that officers called to the scene over the weekend to break up a fight at The End Up Club, a gay stripper bar, “beat him,” made “crude comments about my weight” and “several derogatory remarks were made with regard to my sexual orientation and the entertainers and/or patrons of the bar.”
He called the incident a “blatant hate crime” in the complaint.
The complaint also includes various photographs of a bruised Kimmel, including a foot-long bruise on his stomach.
An autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death.