Sporting stars open up about LGBTQ+ discrimination

Sporting legend and first openly gay Welsh rugby union professional, Gareth Thomas, joins us for a new series of videos exploring how the automotive industry, and places beyond, can foster a culture of inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community.

In the first episode, filmed inside the Very Gay Raptor – a vehicle we created in response to a homophobic comment on social media – Gareth meets with British racing driver and transgender rights activist Charlie Martin. She talks openly about the challenges she faced transitioning within a male-dominated sport, then gives Gareth a taste of her high-speed driving skills on a hill climb.

He is also joined by Ed Rogers, an employee in the UK who is chair of Ford Pride – our LGBTQ+ employee resource group – and founder and chair of Driving Pride, a cross-industry group dedicated to driving out discrimination in the industry. Together, they discuss how toxic ‘banter’ can be for those in the LGBTQ+ community.

The ‘Ford Presents Tough Talks’ series is one of a number of things we’re doing in our mission to drive out discrimination and give the LGBTQ+ community a voice in the automotive industry.

Since 1995 the employee resource group Ford Pride ERG (formerly GLOBE) has championed LGBTQ+ rights across the globe as well as workplace inclusion in all aspects of corporate life. It was launched in Europe in 1996, making Ford one of the first companies in the corporate world to establish this type of employee resource group and to develop a Gender Identity Commitment.

Driving Pride, of which we are a founding member, is a network launched this year for professionals associated with the automotive industry who identify as LGBTQ+ and straight allies who support them.

The first in this series airs today on International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia 2022.

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