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DMV employee tells transgender woman: You’re going to hell

October 27, 2010

A California Department of Motor Vehicles employee is accused of sending a letter to the home of a Bay Area transgender woman calling her “an abomination” and telling her that she is going to hell.

A press release from the San Francisco Transgender Law Center claims that Amber Yust, a transgender woman living in San Francisco, went to the San Francisco Department of Motor Vehicles earlier this month to change her name on her driver’s license.

Last Monday, Yust received a letter from the person who had processed her name change at the DMV. In the letter, which had been mailed to her at home, the DMV employee quoted from the Bible and stated that Yust had made a “very evil decision.” The strongly-worded letter told Yust that she was “an abomination” and said that homosexuals should be put to death.

“This was an egregious act committed by a government employee,” said Masen Davis, Executive Director of the Transgender Law Center. “Transgender people deserve to be treated with respect at agencies like the DMV. What happened to Amber is despicable, and we intend to do everything we can to hold the responsible parties accountable and to prevent this from happening again.”

The incident is being investigated.


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It’s been a very long time since I have been into a DMV. I’d rather have root canal without benefit of novacaine! They are, for the most part, unhappy workers who scowl and have that special tone in their voices reserved for those of us who think we are brave enough to go there, face to face.


I shiver in cowardice. No thank you.


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I pretty sure that when I get to hell all my friends will be there too.


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you had it first… here’s our follow up:


Transgender woman receives hate-filled letter from SF DMV clerk http://bit.ly/dbWgw5 via @ABC7NewsBayArea & @CeciliaVega7


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It is Bizzare, and the contact is criminal. I’m sure it is clearly stated in DMV training manuals that this is not allowed. But what is strangest is that this is a DMV in San Francisco.

I doubt that there are DMV offices in any state that see more transgender or cross dressing customers.

Also the staff in th SF offices DMV would be aware and sensitive to their own “wackjobs” to a higher degree than anywhere else.

It is appropriate that this intrusion be dealt with through the courts, and unfortunately-We will pay.


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Don’t know what’s worse. That the DMV person is foolish enough to do something so stupid or believing that there is a hell.


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Even if you (not me!) agree that transgender people have made a bad choice, contrary to the tenets of the Bible or whatever, what this employee did was wrong, wrong, wrong. First, making use of the DMV data base to access personal information, using that information on a personal crusade, and threatening the person involved. That employee may think they are Christian, but Jesus calls us to minister to sinners, not threaten them with violence. How do you think the transgender person feels about Christians after this? NOT a good way to bring people to Christ.


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Did you notice the article says the DMV employee has been accused, not that they actually did it?


These days, i would not be surprised to learn it is true, but i’d also consider that this might not be what actually happened.


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The article also categorically states: “Yust received a letter from the person who had processed her name change at the DMV.” So is the the employee “accused” because DMV has to go through a semi-judicial process on this? Or is it possible that someone sent Yust the letter using the employee’s name? I’m not sure, but whoever sent the letter hasn’t learned that a direct attack on a person because they have made a difficult, painful, and personal decision is no way to change hearts and minds.


BTW — I am firmly convinced that transgender people are born that way, it is not a choice, and that sometimes people can accept the disconnect between mind and body, and other people can’t live that way and have to make the change. Just MPO.


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As if just going to the DMV wasn’t torture enough. Although I strongly agree that the individual should be penalized for their actions, the agency certainly has policies against this type of behavior and the employee alone should face disciplinary charges. The fact that an employee would even feel it was appropriate to access personal information is bad enough. We are required to carry a driver’s license; we are entitled to the protection of privacy of our information. And if you think this does not affect you, you better stop and wonder who might be the next target of such small-minded bigoted people.


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When does it stop? It blows my mind that the DMV employee thought it was perfectly within her rights to sit down and prepare the letter, stamp it, and put it in the mailbox. It wasn’t accidental. It was premeditated and calculated. Bullying, actually. How can we expect our children to stop the bully syndrome when adults are guilty of it on a daily basis? Don’t children learn by watching the actions of adults around them? Children bullies will grow into adult bullies without stern guidance.


Investigated isn’t enough. Actionable is. Send a message that makes the statement warranted here.


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I have to agree. Poor Amber, hasn’t she been through enough? Being born in the wrong body must be a nightmare. Fortunately when I notice that I am in the wrong body, diet, exercise and the gym puts it back the way it is supposed to be! It’s time to do away with big payouts over some ignorant gov employee who act’s of their own accord. That one employee does not represent the DMV . This crap is getting old. It’s a great scam for making your friends rich and garnering a big kick back yourself though!


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Hopefully us the taxpayers, won’t be on the hook for a big court settlement because of this stupied DMV employee. Make the moron employee pay. Yes I know how it will go and yes we will pay for this idiot’s comment. It just bugs me.


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