Automotive & LGBT+ History Month

The Blackpool FC player Jake Daniels is one of the first professional footballers to come out as gay. I know I’m not alone in applauding him, it must’ve taken great courage. Jake’s step was swiftly followed by Craig Napier and Lloyd Wilson, referees in the Scottish leagues.

These decisions will have been particularly tough as these men are working in an environment that has often been seen as unaccepting of difference.

The automotive sector, like many others, is grappling with these issues. The plain truth is: if we don’t include everyone, we don’t succeed.

It’s LGBT+ History Month, a good time to shine a light on our own industry and what we can do to make us more inclusive, and stronger because of it.

The IMI Diversity Task Force’s Gender and Sexual Orientation Working Group invested 12 months of time and energy to see what we could do to make positive changes. We learned from the very beginning.

The group requested a name change at the start of the project to truly reflect the breadth and depth of the topic. The name change was to “Gender and Sexual Orientation” to capture a wider pool than the stereotypical male/female narrative. It was a needed change due to the barriers identified by the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace.

You see changes taking place across the industry. Just look at Acorn Training, and how it’s shifting its model to attract more people from an increasingly diverse background, including the LGBT+ community.

We’re all part of the journey to change automotive, making it stronger and more inclusive. Please get in touch and tell us what you’re doing to drive the sector forward – or indeed if you want our support with your own career. Call +44 (0)1992 519025, or send an email to hello@theimi.org.uk.

With my very best wishes

Steve