Photographed at West Beach, Newhaven.
About Charlie
Charlie is a racing driver and LGBTQ+ activist, in 2020 she made history as the first trans driver to compete in the legendary Nürburgring 24hr race.
She started racing with £1,500 from a summer job and a can do attitude, and has repeatedly overcome adversity to succeed as her true self. Charlie is a Stonewall Sports Champion and BMW ‘Friend of the Brand’, she proudly uses her visibility to inspire awareness and acceptance for LGBTQ+ people in sport and beyond. Away from the track she works as a motivational speaker and loves outdoor sports like trail running, hiking, SUP and surfing.
JOY IS…
often the small things in life like my partner making me laugh, feeling the sun warm my body in Spring, my cat, good coffee, exercising in nature, catching a perfect wave… and big things you work hard for like standing on a podium with a trophy, spraying champagne – that is joy turned up to 11!
Trans joy is waking up every day knowing that I feel complete, that I’m the person I was meant to be and never questioning my right to feel valid in any space. It’s doing all the things I love with the freedom to be me, and seeing other trans people thrive and experience happiness in their own lives.
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In a world that often struggles to fully embrace diversity and inclusion, ‘Beyond the Binary – The Spectrum Of Trans Joy’ is a project dedicated to fostering social cohesion and visibility for the trans and intersex community. This fresh initiative from the award-winning queer photographer Chris Jepson seeks to empower and celebrate the trans+ community by showcasing authentic joy through a captivating series of individual and group portraits.