"SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah woman says she encountered only brief resistance when she recently had her driver's license photo taken while wearing a colander on her head as a religious statement.

Asia Lemmon, whose legal name appears on her driver's license as Jessica Steinhauser, said the pasta strainer represents her beliefs in the satirical Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

The Flying Spaghetti Monster movement, also known as "Pastafarianism," started in 2005 as a protest against teaching intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in Kansas schools.

When she had the photo taken Sept. 29, Lemmon said she wasn't sure if officials at the Division of Motor Vehicles office in Hurricane would allow her to wear the headgear, but "it was surprisingly really, really easy."

Nannette Rolfe, the director of Utah's Driver License Division, said about a dozen Pastafarians have had their state driver's license photos taken with a similar colander or pasta strainer on their heads in recent years.

"As long as we can get a visual of the face, we're fine if they choose to wear the headgear," she said.

Hats and headgear are not allowed for driver's license photos unless they're religious garments, Rolfe said. After the first few Pastafarians came in about two years ago, state officials determined the church is a recognized religion and its members don't require any special paperwork, she said."

As one might expect this paragon of mature behavior has an interesting background: "Lemmon, a St. George resident, is a former porn star who performed under the name Asia Carrera, The Spectrum of St. George reported Monday (http://bit.ly/1xDEkdk )."

http://www.gopusa.com/news/2014/11/18/us...o/?subscriber=1

Interestingly, she doesn't pronounce her first name like the continent. She pronounces it Is-a. Isa Lemmon....