Name: J. Paul Brearey
Place of Birth: Austin, TX

Occupation:

Product Planning Manager, Vehicle Personalization

Employer:

Ford Motor Company

Year, Make and Model of your first car/truck:

1978 Subaru 4WD Station Wagon (slow and ugly but would go anywhere)

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Own my own Car Dealership

How long have you worked in the auto industry?

13 years at Ford, plus a year selling cars in California and 6 months at General Motors.

What do you drive now?

2007 Volvo V50 T5 AWD. It’s basically the modern Swedish version of my first car, but way better!

Are you out at work?

Yes

Was being gay ever an issue at any of your jobs?

Once

If so, how did you deal with it?

During the relocation to Sweden, the existing policies for International Service did not accommodate my partner. I raised the concerns and Ford and Volvo management really stepped up and they resolved everything. I’ve had nothing but support from the company and coworkers in every position I’ve had.

If you had one piece of advice to give to a gay person wanting to work in the auto industry, what would it be?

Go for it, but do your homework on company GLBT policies, not just where they advertise or market their cars. How a company treats its employees tells you everything about whether you want to work there or not. In addition, the auto industry is global enough to accommodate if you want to live and work overseas

Ok, here is the fun part; if you had $25,000 and had to buy a new car, what would it be and why?

Mazdaspeed 3. A serious performance car for a bargain price!

Same question but bigger budget – $50,000:

I’d wait for the new Jaguar S-Type.

If money was no object and you had to drive it every day:

I am a loyalist, so Aston Martin Vanquish. I love the looks and power. However, if I had no loyalty, my love for power, AWD and outrageous looks would demand that I get a Bugatti Veyron…

What is your favorite car of all time and why?

Datsun 240Z. I had one in college and it was stolen and never recovered. That car had a soul, and it is truly one of the few Japanese cars to ever have one. I felt so alive when I drove that car! A close second would be the last Mustang GT Convertible I had. Yes, it lacked refinement, but it was a car I got excited about every time I drove it!

If your car/truck could talk, what would it say about you?

“Why do you wash, wax and detail me out yet flog me every time you get behind the wheel?”

Finally, why do you want to be on gaywheels.com?

The best way to change the world’s perception of GLBT people is for people to experience us in their daily lives. The only way they can do this is for us to be out at work and everywhere else in our lives. If this helps only one other person to come out at work or to strive for something they never thought they could achieve as a GLBT person, than I am happy to have done this!

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