A Brief Rant About Homophobia In The Car Community

Last month, during the celebration of Pride Month, my hometown decided to paint a few downtown crosswalks in the colours of the Pride flag. It was supposed to be a symbol of support and solidarity towards the LGBTQ+ community. But, thanks to one misguided individual, it ended up putting a literal black mark on the reputation of the car community.

Simply put, someone did a burnout on the painted crosswalk and left tire marks all over it. Although the kid that did this didn’t know that the rainbow crosswalk was a symbol of Pride, it was seen as an act of hatred towards the LGBTQ2+ community. Since the population at large tends to associate burnouts with car enthusiasts, this gave local petrolheads a bad name for quite some time.

I’d like to say that it was an isolated incident, but it isn’t. In fact, these acts of vandalism have occurred across the world with much more malicious intent. Obviously, this is not representative of the majority of people within the car community. Yet, it’s not the only way in which petrolheads have been associated with homophobia.

It’s no secret that a few superstars of the car world have made statements that many in the LGBTQ2+ community have taken objection to. Whether it be the above prank played on Jeremy Clarkson while he slept on an airplane, or Richard Hammond’s confusing statement of avoiding ice cream because he wasn’t gay, some of the world’s most popular car enthusiasts have made comments that could be interpreted as homophobic.

I’m not trying to be self-righteous, but I am disappointed with the amount of homophobia that I have experienced within the car community. I’ve really noticed this after buying my NA MX-5, as if someone thought that it would be an insult to call me gay because I drive a Miata. In fact, it’s common for people to express contempt towards certain vehicles (and their owners) by trying to attach them to homosexuality.

Sometimes, the hate is even more blatant. On many occasions, I have been told by car fans that they do not feel comfortable with being a part of the car community because of their sexuality. These people don’t make a dog-and-pony show of their orientation, but are legitimately fearful for the safety of themselves and their cars should they ever be outed at a car meet.

At Car Throttle, we have made it very clear that homophobia will not be tolerated in our community. It is my personal view that everyone should be able to feel safe in the car community, both online and at the local Cars and Coffee. I don’t care what car you drive, what colour your skin is, what your gender is, or who you want to love. Everyone deserves the chance to be welcomed, accepted, and respected. We’re all friends because we share a common interest—cars. We are not a community of jerks and bigots, and we need to make sure that the rest of the world sees us in that same way.

So here’s something that I think we can all do to make a real difference to both the automotive and LGBTQ2+ communities. Before you show up to the car meet or log on to an online forum, leave your prejudices at the door. Leave all the hate there, too. It’s as simple as treating everyone with respect. If you’re like me, the car community is more than just a group of people who like cars. It’s a group of people who share a common understanding and a way of life. Many of us know what it’s like to be alienated, for one reason or another, and it’s not very fun. Let’s do our best to make sure that no other petrolhead feels that way.