{"id":429158,"date":"2023-05-31T15:24:35","date_gmt":"2023-05-31T19:24:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.automoblog.com\/?p=429158"},"modified":"2023-11-30T17:49:05","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T22:49:05","slug":"trans-mechanics-are-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.automoblog.com\/trans-mechanics-are-here\/","title":{"rendered":"Trans Mechanics Are Here to Fix Gears. Get Used to It."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Affiliate Disclosure:<\/em><\/strong> Automoblog and its partners may earn a commission when you use the services or tools provided on site. These commissions come to us at no additional cost to you. See our <\/em>Privacy Policy<\/em><\/a> to learn more.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Editor\u2019s note: <\/strong>This article cites statistics that use binary gender concepts in their data collection. We understand that this is a limited representation of gender diversity and does not take into account people who do not fit neatly into \u201cmale\u201d or \u201cfemale\u201d statistical categories or people who do not identify as \u201cmen\u201d or \u201cwomen.\u201d However, since we rely on government and academic data to inform our content, we are limited to how their data are collected, organized, and presented. In this article, we refer to the terms used in the studies and data we cite for clarity\u2019s sake while asserting that future research can and should take the entire gender spectrum into account.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2018 survey by Deloitte and Automotive News<\/a> asked women why they didn\u2019t pursue a career in the automotive industry. The top answer to that survey, provided by 65% of respondents, was an \u201cunappealing environment.\u201d This suggests that a majority of women don\u2019t find automotive industry jobs to be comfortable or welcoming opportunities \u2013 unsurprising, considering the lack of gender diversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While they account for slightly more than half of the workforce in total, people categorized as men comprise an overwhelming majority of auto mechanics. According to 2022 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)<\/a>, only 2.9% of the country\u2019s 926,000 automotive repair technicians are categorized as \u201cfemale.\u201d While not all of the remaining 97.1% identify as men, it\u2019s safe to say that the field is mostly represented by those who do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two people who don\u2019t fit the traditional stereotype of an automotive technician are CC Haug and Anna Ray, transgender women who work on cars in different capacities. Automoblog spoke with Haug and Ray about their work inside the garage and lives outside of it to learn more about their experiences and perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Auto Repair Industry Has a Gender Diversity Problem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This lack of diversity in the automotive repair industry is not for lack of exposure to or familiarity with cars among those representing other demographics. Fewer than half of licensed drivers<\/a> in the U.S. in 2021 were categorized as male. Instead, at least one study suggests that a major reason for such overrepresentation is the dynamics of the industry itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the \u201cunappealing environment\u201d cited above, other reasons women gave in the survey were more structural in nature. A majority of respondents (59%) cited a \u201clack of work\/life balance\u201d as a reason for not pursuing an automotive career. Studies have shown<\/a> that poor work\/life balance may have a greater effect on women than on men, and have a more negative impact on their careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There also appear to be differences in how genders are treated as customers at auto shops. In their 2018 paper<\/a> \u201cRepairing The Damage: The Effect Of Price Expectations On Auto-Repair Price Quotes,\u201d researchers at Northwestern University studied the prices people of different genders received when calling for repair quotes. It found that women received 6% higher quotes than men when not citing a price expectation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study did find, however, that this gender discrepancy was eliminated when customers conveyed that they knew the price to expect. Dr. Meghan Busse, one of the study\u2019s authors, suggests that this reflects an inherent bias about gender as it relates to automotive knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[T]he data are more consistent with statistical discrimination,\u201d she says. \u201cShops believe, rightly or wrongly, that women know less about cars and car repair.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEnter: Good Judy Garage\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That gender inequity is part of what motivated CC Haug to open Good Judy Garage<\/a>, a \u201cqueer owned and operated\u201d auto repair facility in Denver, Colorado. Haug spent most of her life working with and around machines before publicly coming out and transitioning. She said that she began working on cars in her spare time while still in her career in the manufacturing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cc
CC Haug worked in manufacturing before opening Good Judy Garage. Photo by Good Judy Garage.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was very closeted about my gender identity during that entire part of my life,\u201d said Haug. \u201cIt was like, \u2018Get up in the morning, put on the uniform, do what you\u2019re supposed to do.\u2019 I finally reached a point a few years ago where I decided I just couldn\u2019t do it anymore. I needed to live life authentically and needed to move forward transitioning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haug told Automoblog that she understood that her gender transition would also mean a career transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI also knew that industry; automotive, manufacturing, and blue collar in general hasn\u2019t had a history of being particularly welcoming to diversity,\u201d she said. \u201cThat was certainly the culture in the manufacturing facility I was supervising.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As she was searching for a new career direction, Haug said that she initially proposed the idea for Good Judy Garage to her partner in jest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne weekend I jokingly said to my partner \u2013 in life and business \u2013 Faith, \u2018I wish I knew someone who had a nice shop where I could get back to working on cars and my gender identity wouldn\u2019t be an issue.\u2019 Her response was simply a pointed \u2018why don\u2019t we just open one?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter: Good Judy Garage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cc
Good Judy Garage opened in late 2021. Photo by Good Judy Garage.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Since opening in late 2021, Good Judy Garage has grown its team, received attention from media outlets such as The Denver Post, and gotten rave reviews from customers. Haug said that the attention Good Judy Garage received initially was more than she expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom that initial inception, Good Judy Garage was intended to be a LGBTQ safe space for its employees and customers,\u201d she said. \u201cI was honestly surprised by the level of interest in what we were doing, and by how many people truly valued it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But while Good Judy Garage is intended as a safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ community to get auto repairs, it\u2019s not limited to that community. Haug says that her shop is open to everyone and dedicated to treating people fairly, regardless of gender or other facets of their identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe core value has always remained constant,\u201d she said. \u201cEvery person \u2013 customers, employees, vendors, et cetera \u2013 that the shop interacts with needs to be treated with respect. As part of that, the quality of service we provide must be on par with or above industry standard for every single customer. We work to ensure that no customer feels talked down to or backed into a corner regarding services. We do not incentivize upselling in any way. We itemize quotes and invoices for transparency, and we strive to keep our prices competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m a Driver. I Just Love It.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Anna Ray is a combat veteran who served with the U.S. Army and began transitioning a little over two years ago. She is the owner of Built In Pride, a carpentry business. In her spare time, she works out of her Wilmington, North Carolina home garage tooling her own vehicles. While she said she doesn\u2019t particularly enjoy working on cars, she said that doing so supports her true passion: driving them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"anna
Anna Ray sits in front of her garage and her 1988 BMW E28 535i. Photo by Cornell Watson<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’m a driver,\u201d she said. \u201cI just love it, you know what I mean? The first thing I ever loved as a child was race cars. I went to my first dirt traffic race when I was, like, four. I just felt like, \u2018Oh my God, I need to be a race car driver\u2019 and I just never let that one go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray said she began doing automotive work at the age of 15 out of necessity. That early work eventually led her deeper down the auto repair rabbit hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy parents never really bought me a car or any of that cool stuff,\u201d she said. \u201cI always had to buy them, so they were older and they had well over a hundred thousand miles. So, naturally they needed work. I just started fixing everything [\u2026] it kind of started with the basic stuff and [\u2026] all of a sudden I found myself doing like a whole cylinder head replacement on a Supra. I had my first car before I turned 16, as I had saved up like a couple thousand dollars and bought this old Dodge Ramcharger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days, Ray is working on a 1988 BMW E28 535i in her garage. She said that the car can be somewhat of a problem child, but one that\u2019s worth the effort she puts into it \u2014 something fans of vintage BMWs can likely relate to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"anna
Anna Ray has a long list of repairs for her vintage BMW. Photo by Cornell Watson<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt looks cool, it’s really nice to drive, with that old mechanical feel,\u201d said Ray. \u201cBut I’m tired of every other week, it’s like some new piece of rubber needs to be replaced. I had to replace some fuel lines because I was getting heavy gas smells. I’m in the middle of 18 other things too. But yeah, I love that car.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAttitudes Across the Industry Are Beginning To Shift\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the U.S., transgender people are facing a wave of anti-trans legislation and rhetoric. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time of publication, 19 states have passed laws<\/a> that restrict or limit access to gender-affirming care for transgender people under the age of 18. Similar laws are being considered in eight states. This means that 44.1% of the roughly 300,000 high school-aged transgender youth in the country now live in states in which they have lost or risk losing access to gender-affirming care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of those states is North Carolina, where Ray lives. Lawmakers in the state have filed five separate anti-trans bills<\/a> in 2023, ranging from bans on gender-affirming care to bans on trans girls competing in girls\u2019 sports. Ray said that were it not for her wanting to stay close to her daughter, she would likely look to move somewhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHonestly, I am stuck here,\u201d she said. \u201cI have to live here pretty much because my ex-wife left me when I came out as transgender and we have a four year old daughter. If I had my way, I would either probably move to New England or Europe because some of these people are making it very hard for people like me to even go out in public.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray and Haug were both adamant that such laws and cultural developments shouldn\u2019t stop people from pursuing an automotive career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAttitudes across the industry are beginning to shift,\u201d said Haug. \u201cA lot of companies are beginning to understand that great employees don\u2019t necessarily look a typical way, or fit a traditional stereotype.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray said that finding one\u2019s fit may be a challenge for people who don\u2019t conform to that traditional stereotype. But she emphasized that technicians don\u2019t have to stick it out in an environment that isn\u2019t comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you walk into someplace and the vibes are off, then go down the street,\u201d Ray said. \u201cYou’ll be surprised by how many different kinds of people you can find in the industry, even though it has that stigma of being nothing but cis men.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haug echoed those sentiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are lots of great shops out there,\u201d she said. \u201cDon\u2019t ever convince yourself that you have to stay in a bad environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the current disturbing trends in government action and national discourse, both women offered encouragement for budding LGBTQ+ automotive workers. Ray said that increased visibility could lead to changes in attitudes and stereotypes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn the government level, it’s kind of bad, right?,\u201d said Ray. \u201cBut most of the people you run into in your daily life are fine. They’re not there to judge you. They’re trying to live their life too. So it’s almost like you have to penetrate that barrier. And the more of us that do it, the more people will just be like, \u2018Okay, I guess we have to be comfortable with this because they’re just coming anyway.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Haug, there\u2019s been no looking back since opening Good Judy Garage. The outpouring of support and messages of gratitude from customers has solidified her resolve that she made the right choice. During her interview with Automoblog, she expressed only one regret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI mostly wish I would have found the confidence to do it a lot sooner,\u201d said Haug. \u201cSomeone once asked, \u2018What\u2019s to stop other shops from adopting these principles?\u2019 My answer is simply that I hope they do.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Affiliate Disclosure: Automoblog and its partners may earn a commission when you use the services or tools provided on site. These commissions come to us at no additional cost to you. See our Privacy Policy to learn more. *Editor\u2019s note: This article cites statistics that use binary gender concepts in their data collection. We understand that this is a limited representation of gender diversity and does not take into account people who do not fit neatly into \u201cmale\u201d or \u201cfemale\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":174,"featured_media":429184,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[58164,43031],"tags":[],"model":[],"acf":[],"modified_by":"Kristin McClure","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.automoblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/429158"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.automoblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.automoblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.automoblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/174"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.automoblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=429158"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.automoblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/429158\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.automoblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/429184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.automoblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=429158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.automoblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=429158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.automoblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=429158"},{"taxonomy":"model","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.automoblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/model?post=429158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}