by Daniel Weil, {URL www.Gaywheels.com} reporter
An interview with Terri O' – Transgendered race car driver
GayWheel Editor: Daniel Weil, a contributing editor to Gaywheels.com, was granted an interview with Terri O'Connell, the only transgender race car driver in NASCAR.
If you grew up as a good ol' boy from Mississippi, a NASCAR career may have been higher among the echelon of your future dream achievements – especially if you wanted to make your racing-hero dad proud. J.T. Hayes faced just such a situation. With 500 wins on the NASCAR circuit and a promising career ahead of him, he thought he had found the "right" track… Almost.
A series of events and one particularly awful racing accident in 1991 shifted J.T.'s perceptions. Trapped upside down by his seatbelt with fuel pouring and smoke billowing from the vehicle, J.T. Hayes decided life was really too short to not live it as who you are.
To greatly simplify the story, a decision was made and cars sold to finance a sexual reassignment surgery that put a racing career on hold. In time, the sheltering and constraining cocoon of J.T. Hayes had disappeared and Terri O'Connell emerged to take the wheel.
Full of inner conflicts and fights with the world to be who she is and do what she loves, Terri's is one of those stories to which many gay people can relate. But ask Terri her story today and she'll tell you, "I'm a woman fighting the odds… I may have come from a very unique set of circumstances, but today, I'm a woman whose fighting to do what she loves to do the most." With a new book coming out soon, television appearances behind and ahead of her, movie deals in the works and a new competitive NASCAR team being assembled, Terri O'Connell's dream of once again setting hot rubber against professional pavement will soon be a reality. Only this time she has an added advantage – she lives as the person she was born to be.
Dan Weil: Who were the most inspirational people or heroes in your life?
Terri O'Connell: My Dad was always my hero; he was just the coolest cat. Daddy was the most awesome race driver I've ever seen. He was a gentle person and a mechanical genius, he could have been a movie star – drop dead good looks, equal talent to Andretti and all those guys. He was just living in Mississippi so he was known through the southeast region. In terms of motor sports I had a lot of them. Jimmy Clark, was way before my time but he just intrigued me….Jackie Stewart too. Andretti was really "my guy". I was into Indy cars and Formula One… As for women, Rosa Parks and Cheryl Tiegs
D: Right now, what is your biggest dream?
T: It's a combination of several things. This motor sports stuff is in my blood and won't go away. I think I'd like to buzz around the Indy 500. And to get my book and movie project done in a way that is high quality. I want to be able to teach people that they can beat the odds too.
D: When it comes time to relax, how do you do it?
T: I listen to music and dabble with my art. You know, I'll tell you what I do; I get in my Edge, throw on some music, and get out and drive. It's my environment; it's what gets my computer cranked up.
D: What is your story really about?
T: Obviously, we're having this conversation because of this gender issue. And obviously Newsweek did this story because of the gender issue. But the meat of the story is about beating the odds, with a very, very unique set of circumstances and trying to mold them into some sort of reality that makes sense.
Like the fact that I was born prematurely with lungs that were small – and I grew up as this androgynous kind of person. I didn't grow the way the other boys did, and then I grew up in this small town in Mississippi, and then I took on this racing legacy of my father's, and then for me to transcend from regional racing to national racing – we just weren't in the politics of the national scene. So to get to the national level, we had to have the help of doors being opened. It just comes down to an incredible set of circumstances and beating the odds. I think the gender issue helped to improve me – I wanted to prove everybody wrong.
Really, the transgender issue wasn't an issue. I was dealing with women's issues. It's a very, very, rich set of circumstances that made me have to beat the odds since day one. You just have to stick to it and be smart about it. You're not always going to be smart about it, but you always need to try to think smart.
D: Your story has been covered in the press since 1998, why do you think the gay press has taken so long to cover your story?
T: A couple of the local papers in Atlanta covered my story and a local paper in Nashville. I'll be honest with you. I can walk into any gay club in America and there won't be 2 people who'll know who I am. When I was on Larry King last year, I got all these emails from people who said, "I had no idea that you were transgendered." I think I just come across as too damn normal. And that makes people have to deal with it. It makes it real…. I got in this to be a girl not to be transgendered. You know what I mean? You've got to be who you are. Honestly, I've never really pursued the GLBT media. In fact all of the mainstream press I've received has been because they've found the story and pursued me. But you would think that just logic would say the GLBT press would cover this. Really, I want to retain my professional career, I want to be able to walk down the street and be the cool, hip wife of some guy at the country club. I think most of the girls in the [transgendered] community want that too. But you have to pursue it. I just want to put a really normal face on this, which is my reason for doing this.
D: What is the biggest challenge for you, in racing?
T: It's one thing to go through what I've done, [ the reassignment surgery ]. It's another thing to have to compete in a sport where there's no women's division. These boys play for keeps. Anybody who doesn't think so has another thing coming. Those boys will take you down. What you have to do in motor sports to survive is on a whole different level. First you need millions of dollars and then you could lose your life. It's dramatically different than other sports.
I have to tell you this story; there was this guy who did this story on me for George magazine. He was a tough little guy from NY. He came down to the sprint car races, the night before the 600. We were walking through the pits. He's a big hockey fan. He said to me, "Hockey ain't shit. I can't believe you did this." [She laughs ]
D: How has NASCAR treated you? Do you have the support to race again?
T: I think that there's plenty of support there. I think it's one of those things, they're probably thinking well here she is. What are we going to do with her? I just think they don't want to make it a circus, and I don't want to either. I want this to be professional and keep the integrity. But I have a lot of support from people who are helping me to put this together and they are NASCAR insiders. So, they know me. They know that I'm just coming in there to compete.
D: If your car could speak, what would it tell us about you?
T: I'm smooth. That's my trademark. Smooth. I think it's just something you get naturally. My dad was like that too.
D: I've enjoyed spending time with you and getting to know you. To me you're nurturing, down to earth, strong, focused, and an absolute sweetheart. How would you describe yourself on the track?
T: I think I'm a lot like Rick Mears. I have this very smooth style of driving and I'm just absolutely hell-bent on winning. I just friggin' hate to lose. I'm able to deal with it and accept it as any human being must. I'm there for one purpose. To finish first, first you must finish… and that applies to life, you know?
D: What makes you different from other folks?
T: I'm a race car driver. It takes a lot of confidence. I think it's because I just have confidence that I can do this and win. I've never been afraid to get into the game. If you want to finish the race, you've got to get into the game. I think that's what sets me apart from so many people. Ultimately, I just had to get into the game.
D: What makes you the same as everyone else?
T: I'm just a human being. I'm just a human being. Food and shelter, that's it. And I need a pat on the back every once in a while, just like everybody else does.
I think it's really important for people to know that I'm just a girl, and that's how I live my life. This transgendered thing – I just got caught up in it. It's odd to be in this. I just want to have my anonymity as a woman. I need my feminine cache. I need it. But I also feel like there's a responsibility on my part for contributing to the awareness of this for others. But, I'm not the spokesperson on this issue and I don't want to be.
To tell you the truth, it's the auto racing that makes this story. If I looked like a 6′ tall linebacker Рit would be a different story. The press would cover it and then be gone. Like last year, when I walked into Larry King's studio he thought I was one of the actresses from Desperate Housewives. His producer had to introduce me as the race car driver and he was surprised. So basically, I'm a 5′ 6″, 118lb. pound woman that races cars. It's a very superficial thing, but that's the reason they cover it.
Hometown: Corinth, Mississippi
Occupation: NASCAR Driver, Author, Activist
Hobby/Pastime: Music, graphic design and art." I like that edgy-funky, Peter Max stuff."
Favorite chase scene: "Bullitt," with Steve McQueen!
Current ride: 2007 Ford Edge, faster than a BMW!
Money No Object Car: Z4 BMW Fastback
