Timmy C is so famous now that the reason why he is so famous has, generally, gotten lost in the discourse. He’s expressive, transparent and at the same, an enigma, which makes him even more magnetic. It’s important because I want things to be better for those coming behind me and I want trans and bi people to be at the forefront of influencing change.In 2021 – just four short years after his enrapturing, twinky break-out role in Call Me By Your Name – Timothée Chalamet is an enterprise and spectacle the kind of celebrity who goes viral for changing his hair or simply going outside. I’m now involved with the LGBT network at my organisation. There are a few of us now and I think we all feel a little emboldened about being out, because we can see others doing the same. I've also received messages from trans people – mostly still in the closet at work – who are so happy to see visible trans people now. I feel like I could have come out at work a long time ago if trans role models had existed. Since coming out I've met others like me, but I've also met cis people who are very supportive. I spent 30 years hiding and in denial about being trans. I also feel quite strongly as a woman with autism, and one who was diagnosed late in life, that raising awareness about how women experience autism is important. I’ve been quite keen for the staff network groups at work to also address intersectionality, which I think is starting to happen now. I've been criticised for talking about autism in a LGBT context, but for me they’re not things I can separate out. I've found that a lot of my problems fall across being disabled and being LGBT, so it’s necessary sometimes to address them via both approaches. I'm autistic, bisexual and trans, so it means quite a bit. I now have colleagues who are allies and friends. I feel that being out and openly a woman now gives me a much better chance of overcoming any barriers in my career than when I was in denial. It's allowed me to get involved with things I would never have done before like media coverage, dealing with the public, giving presentations to groups of colleagues, and participating in the staff network groups for women and LGBT+. At work I've felt much more able to express myself and, with all the baggage of dysphoria out of the way, I can concentrate better on my job. The world opened up for me once I learned to be myself.
Transitioning was the best thing I ever did. But I've started working with people who never knew me before and it’s got a lot easier.
I never felt that I was wrong or that I'd made a mistake, but I did at first feel that life was about to get a lot harder for me. I didn't pass at first and I made a huge effort to try to look less male. I think it took me a good year to get to a place where it felt comfortable. It wasn't until I was promoted to management and working at TFL that I felt I had the support to enable me to transition. Until then, I'd been in signals department – a very macho environment. I was quite well known in the business when I decided to transition. I’ve worked for Transport for London (TFL) and the London Underground since 1988. I'm a transgender woman, who transitioned five years ago. Sector: Transport How does your identity relate to your work?
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