Photo: Ida Wood
Motorsport UK has become the first FIA-recognised national sporting authority to publish a transgender inclusion policy.
The vast majority of racing series do not segregate competitors by gender, with the exceptions usually being series that are seeking to promote and increase female participation in motorsport.
Therefore motorsport has been ahead of many other sports in enabling compromise-free transgender participation, although inclusivity initiatives have tended to be just that rather than embedded in policy.
Motorsport UK’s policy “respects the UK Sports Council’s guidance for transgender inclusion in domestic sport which calls for national governing bodies to enter a decision-making process that best accommodates transgender inclusion, fairness and safety in our sport” and applies to “marshals, officials, staff, committee members” and more in addition to competitors.
Here is an excerpt from the policy, containing the key details:
Motorsport UK is committed to
• Ensuring that all people are treated with dignity and respect.
• Allowing self-identification of an individual’s gender across our licensing, irrespective of whether an individual has a Gender Recognition Certificate.
• The only event whereby sex observed at birth may be necessary to declare is where relevant in medical assessments to achieve a compliant Motorsport UK medical or in connection with a medical incident at-event.
• Respect the private nature of an individual’s transition and never discuss an individual’s gender status without explicit permission.
• Ensuring that our participants and our stakeholders including coaches, teams and championships are aware of the policy.
• Creating resources and tools to support clubs and championships to support their members of all genders.
As the right of self-identification applies “equally across all Motorsport UK activities and all competitions run under a Motorsport UK Permit”, it means that anyone with a racing licence who identifies as male or female can participate respectively in any male or female-only series organised under the permit mentioned above.
“Motorsport UK embraces an inclusion-centred approach. As a sport that has always been accessible and open to all, none of the Motorsport UK competition regulations have gender-affecting factors,” said Motorsport UK’s CEO Hugh Chambers.
“While motorsport has always in theory been open and inclusive, we know that members of the transgender community have not all had a positive experience. We are very proud to be able to stand with the transgender community to promote an environment that champions inclusion, dignity and respect, and the right for everyone to self-identify. Putting a policy down in writing sets out a clear position: everyone is welcome.”
Initiatives and series aimed at boosting female participation in recent years has helped lead to more high-profile women in racing, and Motorport UK’s policy could have the same impact for transgender individuals seeking a motorsport career.
Racing Pride co-founder Richard Morris, who chaired the committee that helped form the policy, said the policy “will be a source of real hope for many LGBTQ+ people who are a part of, or who dream of being involved in, the sport” and highlighted that the self-identification element “will be hugely significant in empowering individuals across motorsport”.