Out Motorsports Provides Platform for LGBTQ+ Car Enthusiasts to Connect
OutMotorsports.com, an automotive community by and for LGBTQ+ car enthusiasts, motorsports competitors and their allies, provides a space for those enthusiasts to share their automotive adventures and connect with others.
Founded in 2017 as a place for two out-and-proud car-loving friends to chronicle their adventures, OutMotorsports.com now features a larger team of routine contributors, while offering space for followers to share their “one-off” stories and connect with others online and in-person.
The key idea behind Out Motorsports is to encourage those who identify as LGBTQ+ to participate in automotive events of all flavors as their whole, authentic selves. Such events often carry the implication that LGBTQ+ participants must “code-switch,” hiding part of themselves to truly fit in. Out Motorsports celebrates the automotive adventures of LGBTQ+ folks who show up as themselves and are embraced, not merely tolerated.
“There are so many LGBTQ+ people involved in every aspect of the automotive world, whether in a professional capacity or as an enthusiast with an unrelated day job. And while rumors often bubble up about identity, it is rare to see anyone be very open while they are plugged in to the community,” claims Jake Thiewes, Out Motorsports’ co-founder. “We choose to lead with our identity and send a clear message to others who feel they must make a choice at the intersection of automotive enthusiasm and who they are. You can show up as your true self, like some of us already are, and here’s all the neat things we’re doing.”
Out Motorsports shares stories across many facets of automotive enthusiasm, from autocross and wheel-to-wheel racing to off-roading and back-roads driving. The group works with automotive manufacturers to provide new car reviews, and with owners to provide “throwback” reviews of cars released long ago.
For those who don’t wish to contribute regularly to the site, Out Motorsports offers several venues to connect with others, including:
- a secure discussion forum
- video calls with community members and industry leaders
- a community events calendar to indicate where members will be in-person on any given weekend
“We’ve seen some wonderful connections fostered by LGBTQ+ sports leagues, and out athletes’ stories shared through various publications,” says Thiewes. “But there’s no focus on people who feel most at home behind the wheel. So, we’re building the group we could never find otherwise.”
