LGBT community and automotive industry: when will they get along?

In general, the car world still stays away from the social diversity for which people have been fighting so much. It’s time to notice that and start working to change it.

We have been making ourselves present in more and more sectors of commerce and industry. Tourism packages, marketing campaigns, TV and streaming shows… Despite all the barriers that still exist, we’ve found ways to show that being LGBT doesn’t make us any different from all the other customers of our society. However, there’s still a long way to go in that regard, and some sectors show it much more than others.

It’s common to think of sports when we discuss parts of the mainstream culture where the LGBT community still struggles to participate. Soccer, for example, used to be practiced and advertised in ways that did little beyond illustrating toxic masculinity. Fortunately, competitions such as the Gay Games around the world and the Champions Ligay in Brazil prove that we’re already addressing this issue as well. Now, let’s move on to a different case.

How often do you see LGBT people associated with cars? If you want me to be more specific, how often do you see them on video ads, especially playing LGBT characters? And how often do you see automakers supporting LGBT events, such as the Parades around the world?

The Peel P50 was small and light enough to be literally pulled around when not in use. Who did the company choose to prove how easy it was to do that? A woman, of course…

Cutting-edge here, narrow-minded there

Sadly, car ads are still dominated by heterosexual couples with the man in a dominant position. When there’s only one person, we can still assume it’ll be a cis-gender man whose appearance traits follow the masculine stereotype. And when we visit dealers or auto shows, many companies still hire typically attractive women to smile and pose for pictures next to the cars, while those who actually talk about them are older, serious-looking men.

Things get worse when we go beyond the sales-related parts of the automotive industry. Many repair shops retain attitudes which make them even hostile to women and LGBT people. The same groups also tend to suffer at enthusiast events because we’re automatically labeled as ignorant on car-related topics. In some cases, women are again reduced to looking pretty and standing silent next to a man. The existence of gay men, in turn, is practically ignored altogether.

Another very important part of the automotive world is the specialized press. But if you think it would be as free-thinking as the press should be, you’re wrong. Most writers and readers seem to live to defend the aforementioned stereotypes and many others regarding how cars should be. Anyone who attempts to question them will be received with heavy verbal insult — usually without any reasonable argument whatsoever.

French cars are often bashed for being unreliable, especially in Latin America. Body types such as the notchback, in turn, are often considered less “useful” than sedans or station wagons. It’s easy to imagine how difficult it is to sell models like the Citroën C6 (2006–12)

How can we deal with all that?

If you argue that cars are simply means of transportation, that no one is actually forbidden from buying and using them, or that automakers must do what gets them money, you’re right. On the other hand, you’re wrong to think it’s okay to let things stay this way. LGBT people are just as good customers as any others for the automotive industry, so they should, indeed, be represented when this industry works to attract… customers.

To be fair, many automakers have, indeed, invested in becoming safe for LGBT people both during their job selection processes and in their workplaces. However, this only affects the tiny share of the population who actually work for them. Automakers which don’t bother to embody these values when presenting themselves to customers are clinging to a zone which is quickly becoming less and less comfortable.

In general, the further a company moves towards attracting new customers, the more it risks losing those it already has. But this is a different case: acknowledging LGBT people, identifying their needs and trying to fulfill them, not more nor less than the others, is becoming the norm. This is part of the progress on social equality we’ve all wanted and pursued for so long.

Crossovers, such as the Honda HR-V, attempt to combine qualities of several body types in only one. They made their manufacturers lose customers at first, but they’ve become the best-selling body type of the entire automotive industry.

Would a “gay car” help with this issue?

It does seem the most intuitive solution, right? But the truth is, it wouldn’t. It is common, indeed, for companies to develop products with characteristics tailored to a particular audience, especially if it’s a new one for them. The thing is, a car model specifically designed for LGBT people would create a type of segregation which would end being catastrophic to both parties. You can easily understand that by thinking of how would that idea be put into practice.

First of all, LGBT people are highly diverse regarding appearance, opinions and preferences and this diversity has finally been empowered within ourselves and outside. Automakers would need either to create several “gay cars” or to try and represent the entire group with only one, which would certainly leave many people behind. Choosing between investing in a highly risky venture and facing backlash for misrepresenting this type of customer doesn’t really seem attractive.

Besides that, such a car would face too much stigma. Many non-LGBT people would never consider buying it, even if it was interesting regarding space, fuel efficiency or design, because they’d be afraid of sending a wrong message to the people in their lives. All in all, this project would actually polarize car buyers, which is definitely what no one needs. LGBT people want social equality, not any kind of different treatment. That’s why automakers should express support through public-image actions.

When will we start seeing cars like the smart fortwo without automatically thinking they’re only suitable to some groups of people?

Would automakers actually want that?

If you think that companies only care about profit, let’s talk about profit: LGBT people are often considered wealthy customers for several reasons. Representing them is a proven strategy for companies to strenghten their image, which is itself a path for countless benefits. The moment one automaker takes the plunge, people will spread the word and it’ll soon be seen as the example to follow among its competitors.

As of the date of this article, FCA is the single automaker to have taken significant steps on this regard. It applies several policies towards social equality in the workplace around the world and its North-American branch stood out last year for widely supporting the Detroit parade — the action included the unveiling of a red 124 Spider customized with a rainbow theme and the hashtag #FiatPride.

Now, was that simply yet another marketing action? Maybe. The question we should actually be asking, however, is… why would that be wrong? It only shows that FCA considers LGBT people important enough to invest in attracting them. Since we’re getting close to Parades’ time once again all around the world, let’s take the opportunity to check which other automakers will stop ignoring who we are and what we can do for them.