Trans racing car driver Charlie Martin is ready to make history

Charlie Martin is a British racing driver who was set to become the first trans woman to race as a support race in the world’s oldest sports endurance car racing contest: the 24 Hours of Le Mans, also known as “Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency.” Unfortunately, the 37-year-old is not from a wealthy family, like many drivers are, and couldn’t collect enough funds to take part in this year’s competition. In an interview with The FBomb, Martin revealed what her experience has been like as a trans athlete, and why taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans would have been a positive experience for herself and trans community at large.

The FBomb: You grew up in Leicestershire, England. How, especially as a queer person, did your upbringing there affect your decision to become a race car driver (if at all)?

Charlie Martin: I was born in the 1980s, so Top Gun (1986) was a huge film back then and that was probably the main reason that I wanted to be a fighter pilot growing up. It had a massive impact on me, and it is sort of funny looking at it now because in some respect, I wanted to be both of the two main [actors] in it, Kelly McGillis and Tom Cruise. I wanted to be Kelly McGillis but fly the planes like Maverick [Cruise’s character]. As I got older, I gave up on the idea of being a fighter pilot because I’m just terrible at math and physics, and you need to be great at those subjects to make it in that career. At about 12, I really developed a love of fast cars and motorsports. 

Growing up, there was practically no queer culture [in Leicestershire]. Back then there was no Internet or anything like that. I didn’t have exposure to the outside world and queer culture  — even more to the fact that people could be transgender. It was very limited. And for a long time, there was the innate sense within me that I was transgender. When I got to the age of 7, I discovered for the first time though that people could actually be transgender, and I wasn’t the first person in the world to follow this. 

We now have more representation of trans folks in the media than ever before. What is the current state of trans representation in sports? Why is representation so important?

I think trans representation in sports right now is pretty low. This could be because trans people make up such a small percentage of the population — less than 1 percent according to some statistics. I’m sure in the future more people will identify as trans and we will see more trans people in sports, but right now we are just looking at a very tiny number of people, so that really explains why [there are so few].

It is really important that there are trans people who are visible — if they are comfortable being visible. It is easy for all of us to look back to when we were really young and think of the people who inspired us and the people who made us go out and take up a career or take up a sport or do a particular thing. And for me growing up I just didn’t have anyone like that. For cisgender kids, there is no shortage of role models, but the trans community, and trans children in particular, need those role models too, given how hard it is for so many of us. We need to see that, actually, anything is possible in life and that we do not have to limit our vision of what is possible based purely on the way we were born. 

For so long I just kind of accepted that I wouldn’t achieve things that other people would achieve in their lives because I was trans and that was a massive disadvantage to me in society. I thought I would be lucky just to be accepted, let alone to excel at anything like what I’m doing now. It is really important that kids can see that being trans is not a negative thing and it won’t hold you back, because if you feel that way you are never going to try. You never going to really push yourself. We have to feel that we have the same opportunities so that we will all try hard and we will have the same rights.  

You are part of the Racing Experience team, which has a 50/50 gender split — women and men work as drivers, engineers, and mechanics. What is it like to work with a gender-equal team and how does it compare to most other racing teams?

It is quite a unique thing really. I’ve seen a couple of all-female teams in a couple of series around the world, but to find a team that has that split is really unusual and to race in that team with that set-up feels amazing. I think that regardless of their role, everybody is doing their best and everybody is well qualified to do their jobs.it is really empowering to see women thriving in traditional male roles, in a very male sport, doing what they love and doing it well, and enjoying themselves. The other women on the team and I have a lot of pride in what we do, and that is great to show that we can do it well. 

You are aiming to be the first transgender person to take part in this year’s “24 Hours of Le Mans” race in the future. What is the significance of "being the first" to do something as a trans person? Do you still hope to become the first trans person to take part in the race?

It is hugely significant. Getting to Le Mans without even taking into consideration the fact that I’m trans would itself be a huge achievement: My family has no history in motor sports and no  money to put into my racing career. I started with ₤500 that I saved from a summer job. To accomplish that while also being a trans woman it is a complete game changer because it sends out such a strong message to the people that I got where I wanted to be. I’m respected in my career, I have commercial backing, I have sponsors who are willing and proud to stand with me and work with me and to have me representing them.

I think that in this day and age we need positive stories to tell the public about the trans community because there is so much negativity out there. Look at the statistics: GLAAD just released a report that showed rates of acceptance of the LGBT community is going backwards in the U.S., and in the U.K., horrific statistics recently revealed that something like 60 to 70 percent of all trans people in the U.K. have experienced verbal or physical abuse in the last twelve months. These statistics are horrifying, so I think to have a positive story like me going to Le Mans and making history would be a huge win for the trans community. It sends out a very profound message to the world that the trans community is here and we expect to be accepted as who we really are because we deserve the same rights as every other person, and we are going to fight for them.