GS: Is Drew the first man you’ve dated?
TM: Yeah, but I think I always knew I was interested in men. <He totally glances at Drew, and I feel the sparks between them.> He was just the only one I was willing to admit it for. Up until him, I dated women.
GS: Mind if I ask Drew a question?
TM: Not at all.
GS: Drew, what about you? Have you always been gay?
DF: I don’t consider myself gay. I always dated and was interested in women. But like Trent said, being friends with him just wasn’t enough.
GS: So you’re bi?
DF: No. I’m a guy in love with another man.
GS: Trent, is Drew it for you?
TM: Yes.
GS: Were you scared coming here today? Is this hard for you both?
TM: I’d be lying if I said no. I think even people who are straight can understand why we would be hesitant to come out about our relationship.
GS: What makes you say that?
TM: Because love is complicated and messy. For everyone. But it’s especially hard when you love someone that most people think you shouldn’t. We’re basically opening ourselves up to a lot of judgment, and we don’t want that. No one likes to be judged. Indie drivers are judged because they aren’t pro. They’re seen as somehow less because they don’t have big sponsors and a set of rules. My relationship with Drew is seen as somehow less because people think love between two men can’t be as strong as love between a man and a woman.
GS: Is it?
TM: I think love between two men has the ability to be stronger.
GS: Why?
TM: Because there is so much working against us. Love has to be really strong to withstand the hate.
GS: Have you and Drew experienced hate?
TM: Yes. People in our lives we thought would always love us turned their backs. A few friends don’t want to be in the same room with us anymore. <clears his throat and his face darkens> I was jumped by four men and beaten.
GS: How have you dealt with it? Why are you still here talking to me today?
TM: We’re here because we want the revolution of racing to be about more than just the racing. This is a sport for the overlooked, the drivers who were told they weren’t good enough. As Drew said before, it’s a division of underdogs who are determined to make a mark, to show the world they are just as good as the pros. We want people to know in this division, everyone is welcome and no one will be made to feel like they aren’t good enough.
GS: You’ve felt like that? Like you aren’t good enough?
TM: Most of my life.
GS: I have to say that’s hard to believe. I look at you, and you’re like the poster boy for the all-American jock. Good-looking, confident, a hard body… I think a lot of people are going to scoff when you say you feel like you aren’t good enough.
TM: Did you miss the part where I said I was held down and beaten? But yeah, I get what you’re saying. I know how I look, but that’s just on the surface. I think a lot of people will identify with the fact that they might look one way but feel another.
GS: Kind of like judging a book by its cover?
TM: Something like that.
GS: So you said people have turned their backs on you both? Have people been supportive?
TM: Absolutely. We have an entire family that supports us. Ron Gamble supports us. Other indie drivers support us. We’re hoping your readers will support us.
GS: I don’t see how they couldn’t. So you’ve drawn a lot of parallels between the new division and your relationship with Drew. Drew, are you worried coming out with something so personal about yourself will hurt your budding career? You said Ron Gamble, your sponsor and founder of this division, is supportive, but were you afraid he wouldn’t be?
DF: This is my absolute dream job. I’ve always wanted to race for a living, so of course I’m worried this could hurt my career. I definitely was nervous Ron Gamble would cancel our sponsorship. He didn’t have to keep me on. But he did. He’s a smart businessman, but he’s also a good human being.
GS: You could have kept your relationship a secret.