'Trans people just want to exist without being a political football' - myGwork Speaks to Enterprise's Tamsin Wallace

Louise Sinnerton from myGwork sat down to talk to Tamsin Wallace, a Recoveries Specialist at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. 

Can you please introduce yourself and your role within your organisation  

Hi, my name is Tamsin Wallace. I work for Enterprise Rent-A-Car in their Non-fault Claims Department as a Recoveries Specialist. My pronouns are She/Her/Hers, and I am a trans woman. 

Can you please tell us about your experience transitioning? Did you get the support you expected?  

Yes and no. The support from family and friends and my employer, Enterprise, has been amazing. I don’t have a bad word to say. Support from a medical perspective is something that I was, and am, immensely disappointed in, a lot more needs to be done in this area.  

Do you think the T is visible enough in the LGBTQ+ community?  

I think trans people are visible, and increasingly so. What needs to be ensured however is that it is POSITIVE visibility, where trans people are not seen as ‘other’ or the punchline of a cheap joke, or something seen as unnatural. We’re just people. The Disclosure documentary on Netflix is a challenging, powerful discussion on exactly this issue, and I cannot recommend highly enough that you watch it. I would also recommend reading Shon Faye’s “The Transgender Issue: An Argument For Justice”, which is an incredible book. 

What is your advice for allies to be (more) trans-inclusive?  

Just treat us as people, treat us with the same dignity and respect and validity you would with anyone else. Trans people don’t want to be special, we don’t want anything more than what everyone else already has, to be treated as regular, normal, valid, human beings. The best thing you can do is educate yourself in a respectful manner. Speak up in support of trans people you see being marginalized or othered or in need of affirmation. Take the time and effort to go away and work on their pronouns. It really makes a difference, not just to the trans people but to society as a whole in helping the progression of inclusivity and evolution of society towards a more enlightened and enriched state. 

What is your advice for organizations to be (more) trans-inclusive?  

Provide support to trans people, make sure that your HR teams and management are educated on how to manage, work with, look after and encourage trans people. Put together documents such as Enterprise’s Transgender Toolkit to help people learn and educate themselves in their own time, to be able to approach matters in the right way.  

Enable the trans people to use the bathrooms that align with their gender identity, or provide gender-neutral single-stall options for trans and non-binary folk to use. 

Why is Trans Awareness Week important to you?  

Quite simply because the equality and support of trans people matters to me, and the education of society to normalise and remove the stigma and wholly misplaced fear of trans people is critical. The media has portrayed trans people horrifically, for literally decades; misinformation and hate campaigns are rife, increasingly so in the UK. It is hurting people, innocent, vulnerable people, who just want to live their lives safely and without persecution and vilification. Trans people just want to exist without being a political football. Until that day comes, Trans Awareness Week matters. 

Have you always been out in the workplace?   

No. I was never out before working for Enterprise, in part because I realised the truth of my own personal journey only within the last half-decade or so, but since working for Enterprise, I found my voice and the strength to step out and be myself. 

How do you personally support your trans colleagues? 

Trans colleagues across the company have seen and read my videos and articles and comments. All of them know that if they ever have any questions or need any support, be that proof-reading a coming-out letter, or asking me how I approached conversations with colleagues and/or management or anything else whatsoever, that I will always make time for them to help in whatever ways they need/I can. That has always been the case, and it always will be. #StrongerTogether  

How do you think you can personally contribute to changing your organisation's culture for the better?  

By being visible, by being bold and unashamed and unafraid of asking and answering the difficult questions. By challenging the status quo and not letting things slip by the wayside or hoping someone else will pick up and carry this banner. By raising awareness and educating people so that they know better so that they know the truth of what things are really like for Trans people, rather than the distorted image the media churns out daily. We need allies. We need help. We need support and equality. We need to be allowed to live and thrive and not be broken over the knee of society every single day. This article and others I have been privileged to be a part of, projects/events I’m involved in within and outside of Enterprise are my personal contributions at this time.