#ILoveGay Today meets up with Stephanie Battaglino, an internationally recognized author, speaker, workshop presenter, trainer, and workplace diversity & inclusion consultant. We chat about her years of working as a leader in corporate America, but as a white male in the business world. Once she transitioned, she was able to more clearly see some of the unique differences and challenges women and the LGBTQ+ community have when it comes to rising above the glass ceiling in today’s corporate environment.
As a public speaker and diversity training consultant, Stephanie has left the corporate world and now runs Follow Your Heart, LLC. She has also written a new book, Reflections From Both Sides of the Glass Ceiling: Finding My True Self in Corporate America. It is part memoir and part cautionary tale of what it is like to experience a career on both sides of the gender divide – at the intersection of gender identity and gender inequality. Battaglino is also on PFLAG’s national board of directors.
EPISODE SUMMARY
Today we spoke about changing the narrative about the transgender community in the United States and globally. Seeking a more welcoming and inclusive environment for transgender and gender non-conforming people in workplaces large and small across America. Regaining our collective sense of tolerance, grace, and personal integrity. Casting a light, from my unique experience of coming out as trans in corporate America, on what the intersection of gender identity and gender inequality looks like in today’s workplace…read full interview
In a global live event that aired on January 28th, the Human Rights Campaign released the results of the 2021 Corporate Equality Index and asked Stephanie to lend her voice to the proceedings to speak about how far the CEI has come with creating welcoming workplaces for transgender and non-binary employees, and reminding everyone that while a cause for celebration, there is still much more work to be done. (Stephanie appears at approximately the 24-minute mark.)