The Story
My last name is Hoes.
It's a Dutch surname. It's been in my family for generations. I'm a Texan, my kids are Texans, and the Hoes name has been in Texas long enough that it doesn't need defending.
The Texas DMV mostly agreed — for two years.
I had a personalized license plate with one word on it: HOES. My last name. On my truck. Nobody said a word for two solid years. Then one person filed a complaint. The state of Texas decided my surname violated their "derogatory" standard and sent me a letter canceling the plate.
Two years. One complaint. Gone.
For the record DMV:
hoes /hoʊz/ noun — the plural of hoe or ho. A garden tool.
So I made a brand instead.
It's not about being offensive. It's about not apologizing for who you are. Wear it to work. Wear it to the BBQ. Wear it anywhere you want someone to do a double take.
— Eric Hoes, Buda, TX