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June 9, 2023
Motorsport UK is showcasing its union with the LGBTQ+ racing community this Pride Month in the effort to ensure a safe and welcoming space for all, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion and age.
As part of its Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Policy, the national membership organization and governing body created an LGBTQ+ Expert Committee in 2021 to understand the challenges members of the LGBTQ+ racing community face within the sport. A resulting membership survey found that LGBTQ+ licence holders and volunteers were five times more likely to have had a negative experience within motorsport. A series of measures have since been introduced to educate the racing community, change attitudes and ensure all members are treated equally and with respect.
Throughout this month, Motorsport UK is showcasing the positive steps it s taking to make motorsport a space for all and continue to raise awareness of the importance of active allyship. Trans racing driver Charlie Martin helped launch Racing Pride, a movement to promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity within the industry and among its technological and commercial partners, supported by Motorsport UK and the FIA. “LGBTQ people are obviously prevalent through society, so why should sport be any different?… Motorsport has so little visible diversity that I personally felt a sense of duty to be out because I know how much difference it can make in helping other people,” she said.
On June 3, Motorsport UK hosted a stand at Oxford Pride in the heart of the UK’s motorsport valley. Visitors could ask questions about the sport and sign up on how to get involved. Later in the month, the organization will host a public webinar with a panel of LGBTQ+ members of the motorsport community to highlight the continued need for these types of actions.
Alongside activations, all 700 Motorsport UK club members received a bespoke toolkit to celebrate Pride Month and help raise awareness of the importance of active allyship. The toolkit includes resources on inclusive language, social graphics and Motorsport UK’s EDI policy, which launched in January 2023. The EDI strategy intends to ensure that motorsport is accessible, inclusive and safe and leaves a lasting legacy that impacts the racing community and wider society.
The Expert Committee is focusing on education and advocacy. It has created a variety of resources for motorsport clubs to benchmark their spaces, changes that are necessary and facilitate positive behavior. Language has been updated in several places to make clear that initiatives and opportunities are open and welcome to members of the LGBTQ+ community. These workstreams and efforts to boost inclusivity are ongoing.
“A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes from members of the Committee and Motorsport UK’s staff and we are making tangible progress in putting in place the structures, policies and education which will improve experiences for LGBTQ+ people,” said Richard Morris, Racing Pride co-founder and LGBTQ+ Expert Committee Chair. He shares that this June’s Pride Month is a celebration of the progress made and the importance of the entire motorsport community coming together to make the sport truly inclusive.
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