Stephanie Battaglino is not just a trailblazer, she is a heart-forward force of change. With grace, resilience, and unapologetic authenticity, she has dedicated her life to opening doors for others, especially in the workplace, where transgender people often face silence, stigma, or worse. The first transgender person to transition at her Fortune 100 company, Stephanie turned personal vulnerability into systemic transformation, spearheading inclusive policy reforms, workplace transition guidelines, and employee resource groups that continue to uplift others long after her own journey began. Today, she is a nationally recognized speaker, corporate consultant, and advocate for transgender equality, leading her own company, Follow Your Heart, LLC, with the same empathy and vision that has defined her entire career.
Whether serving on the boards of the LGBT Community Center of New York or the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, Stephanie brings both heart and strategy to the fight for visibility and dignity. Beyond her titles and accolades, Stephanie is a deeply compassionate partner, mother, and friend. Her relationship with Mari, whom she lovingly calls the "yin to her yang," radiates warmth and serenity. Her devotion to her son, whom she supported with extraordinary sensitivity through her transition, speaks volumes about the quiet strength she carries. Stephanie’s story is one of hope, of finding one’s voice, sharing it boldly, and lifting others along the way. Through her writing, her blog Follow Your Heart, and her tireless activism, she reminds us that the power of living as your true self is not just personal, it’s transformational. And today, we are honored to listen.
Monika: Today, I have the pleasure and honor of interviewing Stephanie Battaglino, a remarkable woman and tireless transgender advocate. Stephanie has been a powerful force for change, serving on the Board of Directors for both the LGBT Community Center of New York and the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF). She also contributes her voice and expertise to the Transgender Advisory Committee of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. In addition to her activism, Stephanie made history as a Corporate Vice President at a major life insurance company in New York, and is the founder of Follow Your Heart LLC, through which she delivers educational workshops, training sessions, and inspiring keynote speeches focused on personal empowerment and fostering transgender-inclusive workplaces. Welcome, Stephanie! I’m so excited to speak with you today.
Stephanie: Hello Monika! Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity. I’m truly honored to be featured on your website and to be in the company of so many strong, inspiring women. Your work means a great deal to me, and I’m thrilled to be a part of this conversation.
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| Stephanie and her partner, Mari, at Women's Event 16 - the largest lesbian-focused fundraising event in the eastern U.S., which benefits programs focused on lesbian and transgender women of the LGBT Community Center of New York, where she serves as a Board Member. |
Monika: You began your transition in October 2005, becoming the first openly transgender person at your company. What kinds of challenges did you encounter during that time?
Stephanie: Well, there were a few. First of all, there were no specific protections in place for transgender employees at my company at that time, particularly regarding gender identity and expression. Secondly, the culture of the company was quite conservative and male-dominated, so I was very concerned that, like so many transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, I would lose my job the moment I came out.
Monika: Since coming out, you've become a powerful advocate for transgender inclusion in the workplace. Could you tell us about some of the initiatives you led within your company that helped pave the way for others?
Stephanie: I am proud to say that is true, Monika. As a direct result of my coming out, a number of things happened, all within the span of approximately 18 months, at my company. First, the non-discrimination policy was amended to include protections for gender identity and expression. Second, since I was the “trailblazer,” so to speak, I took the opportunity to work closely with our Human Resources executives to create workplace transition guidelines for those who would follow me. Lastly, I was one of a small group of co-founding members of the company’s first-ever LGBT employee resource group, or “ERGs” as they are commonly referred to.
Monika: That’s incredibly impactful. How did your work within the company extend into broader community efforts?
Stephanie: Outside of the company, but related to it in a way, I championed the first-ever grants awarded from the company’s philanthropic foundation to LGBT non-profit organizations: the LGBT Community Center of New York and the Hetrick-Martin Institute, home of the Harvey Milk High School. The total of those grants and their subsequent renewals exceeds $300,000.
Monika: Many companies today are talking about diversity, but not all are taking real steps to support their transgender employees. What are the strongest arguments for encouraging employers to implement solid transgender equality policies?
Stephanie: As is the case with all LGBT employees, a company benefits when an employee, in this case, a transgender or gender non-conforming person, can bring their entire self to the workplace, openly, without fear of retribution. What some people do not understand, Monika, is how energy-sapping it is when one has to hide their true self in the workplace day in and day out.
Monika: That emotional toll is often invisible to those who’ve never experienced it. Beyond creating a safer environment, how does inclusion translate into a strategic advantage for companies?
Stephanie: The other important point is that a company, in an effort to positively position itself and remain competitive against its peer companies among an increasingly diverse talent pool, must clearly demonstrate its commitment to a workplace that fully embraces diversity and inclusiveness. LGBT people, especially transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, must be included through appropriate workplace protections, and now, transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits as well.
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| Stephanie and Mari just before the New York City Pride March kicks off, in June of last year. |
Monika: Are there any templates or standards available that could be adjusted and applied anywhere, regardless of the size of a company or country?
Monika: For organizations looking to build more inclusive environments, are there universal tools or resources that can be adapted regardless of a company’s size or geographic location? Stephanie: Yes, they are out there, Monika, and that’s a good thing! In the U.S., a very comprehensive place to start is the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) website: www.hrc.org and resources-for-transgender-employees.
Monika: From your perspective as a workplace advocate, what are the most pressing issues currently facing the transgender rights movement in the U.S.?
Stephanie: Since I focus my activism in the workplace, the big issue in the U.S. involves the passing of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, commonly referred to as ENDA, which puts in place workplace protections for LGBT employees, including, thank goodness, transgender and gender non-conforming employees. In a historic vote last November, ENDA was passed by the United States Senate, 64–32, but has yet to be taken up by the U.S. House of Representatives. That is discouraging, but the fight continues! The tragic fact of the matter, Monika, is that in 33 states, a transgender person can still be fired on the spot for coming out. That simply must change!
Monika: That’s both powerful and disheartening. Aside from nondiscrimination laws, what other advocacy efforts are you currently engaged in?
Stephanie: One issue that I am currently involved in at my company is getting transgender-inclusive health benefits instituted. At its core, this would provide coverage within employer-provided healthcare plans and short-term disability coverage for medically necessary treatments and procedures, such as those defined by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s (WPATH) Standards of Care.
Monika: Are many companies already on board with implementing these benefits, or is there still resistance?
Stephanie: While many companies have adopted these benefits, and some that I have worked with don’t even have any “out” trans employees that they know of, they often do so to keep pace with the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI) criteria. Still, there are many companies struggling with this issue that need to be educated about the projected cost and utilization rates (both of which are much lower than they think).
Monika: How do you feel about the way transgender lives and experiences have been portrayed in books, films, and other media so far?
Stephanie: In my opinion, it can vary widely. In motion pictures, for example, I think some have been terrific, while others have been just awful. For me, it’s all about portraying a transgender person honestly and humanly. The ones that stand out for me are Felicity Huffman as Bree in Transamerica, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Lola in Kinky Boots, and Terence Stamp as Bernadette in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Although I have yet to see the film, Jared Leto has gotten wonderful reviews (and an Oscar nomination) for his portrayal of Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club.
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At Trans Advocates Talk with 'The Insider' (YouTube) |
Monika: The transgender community is often included under the broader LGBT umbrella. As the “T” in LGBT, do you feel the transgender community is able to effectively promote its unique issues and cause within the larger group?
Stephanie: Simply put, Monika, we have to. As I have often said in my workshops and speaking engagements, the need for education is great, and arguably that need is greatest amongst the L, G, and B communities. I will also say that, as perhaps the most diverse community within a diverse community, we do not always help ourselves, in my opinion. A significant part of our community is either not full-time or they choose, for very personal reasons, to not be seen, leaving the advocacy work to a much smaller segment of our community.
Monika: What challenges does this create for transgender advocacy within the LGBT movement?
Stephanie: Believe me, I do my best to empathize with their individual situations, as there was a time in my life when I was very much not full-time as my true self. But that said, it is difficult to advocate on behalf of a population that is invisible. And then there’s friction between the various sub-groups within our community. My mantra has always been one of unity. We do our community a disservice by not presenting a unified front. It is our uniqueness, across the entire transgender spectrum, that sets us apart from the L, G, and B communities. We need to rally around that concept as a community for our collective voice to be heard. Honestly, Monika, I could go on, but I’ll stop here. This topic can actually be the sole topic of one of your interviews!
Monika: Is there anyone in the U.S. transgender community today whose activism could be compared to what Harvey Milk did for gay rights in the 60s and 70s?
Stephanie: Honestly, Monika, I don’t think there’s just one individual. I think the movement has benefited from the efforts of a number of people, each doing what they can within their own particular sphere of influence to move the needle on trans equality, and there’s plenty of room for more.
Monika: When you were transitioning, did you have any transgender role models to look up to?
Stephanie: Actually, I did, Monika. Her name is Maggie Stumpp, and her coming out story resonated with me because she came out of a company very similar to mine in terms of industry segment and culture. Her story drew wide media coverage at the time, and I drew great strength from that. The cool thing is that we’ve become friends and, among other things, participated in a workplace transitions panel together at the Center a few years back.
Monika: What was the most difficult part of coming out during your transition?
Stephanie: Without a doubt, it was coming out to my son, who was 10 at the time. That, and when you make the very personal decision to embrace your authentic self and transition, EVERYONE transitions with you, your children, your family, your friends and neighbors, your co-workers.
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| Meet Stephanie Battaglino (YouTube) |
Monika: How did you manage the emotional and practical challenges of that process?
Stephanie: As I like to characterize it, there are a lot of plates spinning in the air at the same time, and it can be very mentally, physically, and emotionally draining to keep them all from falling on the ground. I made sure to place my son’s needs above my own, which I will admit was very difficult to do, so that he could be brought around to the whole concept of changing genders in his own time and on terms that he could understand for a child his age. I had some professional help with that as well. Thankfully, all of that work has paid dividends, as he is a wonderfully caring and sensitive young man now off at university who, next to Mari and my sister, is my biggest supporter.
Monika: Your relationship with your partner Mari is such a sweet love story. You first met at the 2007 Southern Comfort Conference in Atlanta… Can you tell us how that meeting felt and how your connection grew?
Stephanie: Thank you for saying that, Monika. Yes, that is when our paths first crossed, and then again the following March at the IFGE conference in Tucson, Arizona. As I often say, she is the “yin to my yang,” and I am so very blessed to share my life with someone who “gets me” like no one else does.
Monika: Your gender-affirming surgery was featured in an episode of The Sex Change Hospital series (2008), showcasing the clinic in Trinidad, Colorado, where Dr. Marci Bowers performs surgeries. How do you remember the patient care and service there?
Stephanie: For me, my choice of Dr. Bowers as my surgeon was an easy one. When we first met, I sensed a very visceral connection between the two of us, which comes as no surprise given that we are both trans women. My time in Trinidad will always be thought of fondly; the care I received from the nurses at Mount San Rafael Hospital was just wonderful, and I was one of the few patients who stayed at the now-defunct recovery house, “Morning Glow”, a magical, but all-too-short-lived, place.
Monika: Are you interested in fashion? What kind of outfits do you usually wear? Do you have any favorite designers, colors, or trends?
Stephanie: I do love fashion, Monika, but I have a very busy travel schedule, so I don’t go out shopping as much as I’d like. For me, it’s more about adopting my own personal sense of style, styles and colors that I feel good about wearing, rather than trying to stay abreast of the latest trends.
Monika: Many transgender women write memoirs about their journeys. Have you ever considered writing a memoir yourself?
Monika: Many transgender women write memoirs about their journeys. Have you ever considered writing a memoir yourself?
Stephanie: I have, and started a manuscript a few years back. I’d like to get back to it but have yet to do so. I need to get my writing groove back, so to speak, so I’ve started a blog entitled “Follow Your Heart,” where I now write regularly on a wide range of topics that I hope will benefit those who read it. Tell your friends and spread the word!
Monika: Would you say you are a happy woman now?
Stephanie: Oh, most definitely, Monika! I am very, very blessed with a wonderful loving partner, terrific friends, a son I am very proud of, and a supportive family. I am extremely fortunate and thank God each and every day.
Monika: Would you say you are a happy woman now?
Stephanie: Oh, most definitely, Monika! I am very, very blessed with a wonderful loving partner, terrific friends, a son I am very proud of, and a supportive family. I am extremely fortunate and thank God each and every day.
Monika: Stephanie, thank you so much for this interview!
Stephanie: You are most welcome, Monika! Thank you for having me!
All the photos: courtesy of Stephanie Battaglino.
© 2014 - Monika Kowalska
Some publications about Stephanie Battaglino:
