Charlie Martin is a racing driver and LGBTQ+ activist. In 2020 she made history as the first ever transgender driver to compete in the legendary Nurburgring 24hr race. In 2024 she competed in in the support race (Lamborghini Super Trofeo) at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, finishing 2nd in class and proudly waving a Pride flag on the podium.

Charlie works with charities like Stonewall to increase the visibility and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people in the sport and beyond and sits on Motorsport UK’s committee (governing body for motorsport) for LGBTQ+ inclusion, and is an ambassador for the FIA’s Girls on Track UK programme.

Charlie, you’re an incredibly successful racing driver as well as a LGBTQ+ activist, please could you start by sharing your journey with us and some of the achievements you’re most proud of?

I started racing when I was about 24, with £1,500 I saved from a summer job. Back then I did everything on a shoe string budget as I don’t come from a racing family, I had to figure it all out as I went ! I never imagined that racing could become a career, but over the years it grew beyond a hobby and I started to try and get sponsorship and support to help me go further. About 7 years in I transitioned and this was really tough, I couldn’t see any LGBTQ+ visibility in motorsport so I gave up as I was convinced no one would accept me.

Going back was hard, but I gradually I found support through my friends and once I was through year one I felt like I’d turned a corner – I knew I was back where I belonged.

Fast forward to today and a lot has changed, I’ve built a profile around racing and activism and I don’t ever question my right to be who I am, doing what I’m doing (as I did for a long time). I’m very proud to have come out on TDOV 2018, it was a leap of faith moment as I wasn’t aware of any high profile LGBTQ+ people in the sport, but although it wasn’t easy, I knew it was the right thing to do and I’ve never looked back.

This summer I’m racing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo and we supported the 24 Hours of Le Mans last month, which was a huge step towards my goal of making LGBTQ+ history as the first Trans driver to compete in the main race. We finished second in class, and flying the Pride flag on one of the most famous podiums in motorsport (during Pride month) has to be one of the proudest moments of my career to date!

Thank you so much for talking to our team in celebration of Pride Month, could you share with us why it is still such an important celebration for the LGBTQIA+ communities?

It’s over 50 years since Pride began with with the Stonewall riots in New York in the late 60’s, and the LGBTQ+ community has made some incredible progress in the time since then. Pride is about celebrating where we’ve come from, and acknowledging the commitment and sacrifice our community has made in the struggle for acceptance.

It’s also important to remember that Pride began as a protest, and while we have a lot to celebrate, it still needs to be viewed as such – the struggle for equality is still very much a struggle for queer people all over the World. In the UK trans hate crimes have increased by 186% in the last 5 years, and so Pride is about everyone coming together in allyship and supporting us with their voices and actions.

Finally, could we ask you to share your thoughts on how we can all individually be good allies and support more positive change in the future?

Often it comes down to simple actions that we can take, as many people point out – allyship is a verb and that means doing something positive. I encourage people to do three things – to educate yourself (eg. try listening to some podcasts on inclusion), engage with people (eg. join your erg as an ally and go some event with them), and use your privilege by speaking up for people who may not feel like they have a voice, call out discrimination (in a constructive way) if and where you see it.

Good things happen when people make them happen, so try and be a force for good in the workplace and use the steps above to help make a positive contribution in the workplace.