Cars and motorsports should be a place where everyone feels welcome. We have been saying that since our inception back in 1984. Toni Scott, a friend of ours, recently shared some feelings about that topic on the Trust in the Machine site, and with the permission of all involved we are amplifying those words here as guest blog.
Thank …
I really don't care about gender or orientation. Share my interest in cars and the freedom they can offer I'll consider you a friend.
Fair warning though, I'm a racer. Since weight is my enemy ( my body shape aside) I care little about being civilized. I rip out the comfortable to lighten the load. It's loud because mufflers weigh a lot and cost a few horsepower.
I don't seek ugly but beauty sure isn't a priority. I prefer honesty in my car shape and life. Since beauty is in the eye of the beholder I'll enjoy an honest discussion where others have different opinions and are willing to share those with me.
ps you don't have to " win" the discussion to have me respect your preferences any more than I expect to "win".
Nor is it a requirement of a great depth of knowledge. I'll be happy to answer the most basic questions. Or go in depth about many subjects.
As far as I'm concerned welcome to our group.
I can generally say, from my experience in car shows and Cars and Coffee's, no one gives a flying F who you love...
...but if you show up with a something other than a Porsche engine in a Porsche, at a Porsche meeting... watch yourself. 
I am of course in CA, which can be a bit "different", but I find in general, in all parts of the US, reasonable people, car people, just care about the car.
That said, there are a-holes in pretty much any group you can define, so always be aware of that.
If I may quote a section that I think will resonate here:
"I can truly say from the bottom of my heart that I do not actually want to write this article. I wish it was an unspoken truth that people can feel like they can have a hobby and be their actual selves, but from experience, it is not. There are people who want to make us feel unwelcome, and I’m writing this because I think most of you - the majority of the population, and the majority of the car community - don’t actually want that."
I think that speaking generally, GRM readers, forum users, competitors, and fans are good people. It's not the people here who want to marginalize or keep people out. But it is an unfortunate fact that those people do exist, and it's important that we don't try to sweep it under the rug.
Welcoming and accepting those who are different from us is not only the right thing to do, it's crucial for our hobby to survive.
Thanks to the author for writing the article. My experience has been that in almost any group there will be people who are offended/bothered by almost anything, they are typically loudmouth, ill-informed people and should be ignored, usually easier said than done. The rest of us just want to share the hobby we love with other people. Between the cars shows and track events I go to I see more people that will go out of their way to help a fellow enthusiast. Did your show car overheat in traffic on the way into the show, I bet 20 people will stop and offer to help. I suppose that is the same for many different groups, motorcyclists stop and help each other, same with boaters. Maybe if the general population got a hobby, we would all get along better? I have never understood how one person's vehicle type/beliefs/habits/sexuality/etc can possibly allow for someone else to say to that their vehicle type/beliefs/habits/sexuality/etc is wrong or bad. Unless your hobby/belief/etc causes me harm what business is it of mine what you do in your free time. Seriously, it seems like now more than ever we need to stop looking at each other as different and see each other as fellow humans trying to get through their day just like us. Probably preaching to the choir here as we are a pretty open minded group.
Nice to see this-and that Aerodeck looks awesome.
I like Toni a lot. 
In reply to CrustyRedXpress (Forum Supporter) :
Look for Toni's Aerodeck in the August issue of GRM.
David & GRM - thanks for giving this content a platform.
Toni - welcome and hope you stick around the asylum. Myself and I'll gander the vast majority here will back you up on your statements. LGBT participation should be a non-issue, but I realize it isn't for some people. For what it's worth, most of us don't tolerate that E36 M3.
Also, I'd like to see a build thread on that Honda at some point. That thing looks awesome.
Edit - David ninja'd me! Looking forward to the feature.
David and GRM, congrats!
Toni, as the author of the SCCA's Welcoming Environment statement (2018) and Code of Member Conduct (2019), plus the recent Social Media & Logo Usage and Conduct Unbecoming a Member policies (2020), I'm pleased you shared your story as a car enthusiast. It all starts with respect. And as the proud father of a daughter who came out just a few years ago, I applaud your courage to live your best life and most honest and authentic version of yourself. It all ends with love.
Chris Robbins, Director of Member & Region Services, Sports Car Club of America.
No fear here, either from me not accepting you or to me not accepting you. I am proud to know and love many members of the LGBTQ movement, to me they are my brothers and sisters just like everyone on this forum us. We all share this earth, we share our pride, our accomplishments, and our sadness and failures. Anybody who says otherwise has a few issues of their own to work out.
Thank you for the article, Unlike Matt I am going to welcome you out of the Asylum, there is a lot less crazy in here than out there in the "real world"
Today I learned what an Aerodeck is. That is so cool.
In reply to RPMChris :
Thank you for chiming in, Chris. And thank you, SCCA, for taking a stand.
Earlier today I was talking with a friend from another sports car club. (True story: We all have this back channel arrangement where we discuss the world's affairs). He raised a good point: Can't picture how rough it would be to be considered an outsider to your favorite hobby.
Thanks, everyone, for making this a more welcoming place.
Yes, an Aerodeck.... Welcome and thank you for sharing.
I am very thankful that Grassroots is a place where people don't attack one another and and very supportive of each other's project. It is a special place in that respect. We tend to not talk politics at the dinner table in favor or geeking out over cars / building stuff. I have a feeling that most people just want to be happy and have a good life, contrary to what we are told. It is awesome that GRM is a place for everyone.
Preach. Inclusivity is a wonderful thing and I thank you for portraying it proudly.
As someone who has been described as 60% straight (but really, it's more like 82%), I'm glad to know that the support is there. I never really felt excluded anywhere since I present as straight, but I always try my best to be inclusive of everyone equally.
Except Yugos. berkeley Yugos.
(I kid. You go on with your Yugo self)
As someone who couldn't give a flying, well you know, what a man does in his own time, I do understand some people can be a lot less than welcoming.
That said, this specifically, is one of, if not the greatest online, print, and personal communities I've ever been a part of. None of the typical jagoffs, jerks, or the like you do find elsewhere.
I also think the prevalence of online anonymity has a lot to do with people getting targeted for stupidity. In person you'll find most of the loudmouths wouldn't dare say a word.
Anyway, you guys are all awesome.
I'm still distracted by that blue FD.
Goth Lolita outfit and an Aerodeck. We are friends whether you like it or not. :-)
If you work in customer service long enough (probably a week is all that is needed) you find that most people are nice and maybe 10% of the population are complete wankers. Yet it's always the wankers you remember and who ruin your day. They are unavoidable.
All minorities need to remember this. The bulk of us don't care if you have preferences outside what is considered normal or if you happen to look different than the bulk of the local population. I've had car guy friends who confessed to being gay after knowing them for several years and I never had a clue. It meant nothing to me. And I think most people you'd actually want to be around are the same way.
Don't let the wankers bring you down.
I agree that the 10% wankers ofter pollute the pool for everyone, but it is up to all of us to hold those people accountable to decent social conduct in group activities. To me it's no different than when "that guy" makes a borderline racist joke, and looks around the group for acknowledgement. Are you going to laugh along, or are you going to try to set the record straight?
Also, on the subject of "not caring" about others preferences, I believe that isn't going far enough if you're talking about an actual friendship. When I make straight friends, I want to know about the things they are passionate about, including families, kids, work, etc. If I'm going to befriend someone from the LGBTQ community, I owe them the same consideration. If it forces me into some unfamiliar topics, I will have learned and grown from the experience.
In reply to ddavidv :
I was with Southwest Airlines for over 20 years, and responsible for all customer service/hospitality training and internal messaging to employees. The reason SWA is so popular with its customers is their hiring, training, communication, and leadership development process. The reason SWA is a perennial "Best Place to Work" is for the same reasons. Take care of your employees - show them through your words and actions that you really, truly care about them - and they'll take care of the customer with the same demonstration of "LUV." Yes, there will always be a small percentage of people you cannot please/satisfy. Don't focus on them, because it's highly unlikely you'll ever be able to win them over. Focus on helping those who are on the fence and always be genuine and make them feel welcome.
ddavidv said:If you work in customer service long enough (probably a week is all that is needed) you find that most people are nice and maybe 10% of the population are complete wankers. Yet it's always the wankers you remember and who ruin your day. They are unavoidable.
All minorities need to remember this. The bulk of us don't care if you have preferences outside what is considered normal or if you happen to look different than the bulk of the local population. I've had car guy friends who confessed to being gay after knowing them for several years and I never had a clue. It meant nothing to me. And I think most people you'd actually want to be around are the same way.
Don't let the wankers bring you down.
That one deserves a second posting. I like to say that 10 percent of people are anti-social and 10 percent of them, violently so. My wife was a professional dancer, so most of the men in her working environment were gay. I went from confused, to angry, to accepting, to the point where the best man at our wedding was gay. Most straight persons are (were?) conditioned to think that their sexuality is right and everything else is wrong. If not given the opportunity to evolve, taught biases can worsen rather than go away. Fortunately, the younger generations seem mainly to understand that to paraphrase Shelby Steele, what counts is not outward image, but the content of one's character.
So 20 years ago we a transgender person attend one of our events, they were welcomed like any other new person and they still attend to this day. Racers are good people.
Gurl you bring that Honda to the car show. The boys won't know who to admire, the car or it's owner. I like your wheels.
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