Five questions to trans leader Stephanie Battaglino
"Buckle up, my friend. They’re just warming up!"
We have come too far to let our quality of life be taken away by those that really have no clue whatsoever who we are – who I am.
I recently ran into my friend Stephanie Battaglino at the PFLAG anniversary reception (she is a board member) in NYC. Stephanie retired in 2019 as Corporate Vice President at New York Life Insurance Company. She had been the first trans employee at New York Life. Her memoir, “Reflections From Both Sides of the Glass Ceiling: Finding My Authentic Self in Corporate America,” is a must-read for anybody that wants to experience the trans experience in the workplace (here is a link to her website).
I asked Stephanie five questions about what seems to be the ongoing anti-LGBTQ+ legislative frenzy in the United States and how it impacts her personally.
Do you see any end to the legislative assault on transgender people?
Unfortunately, I don’t. The proliferation of anti-transgender bills in Republican-led statehouses around the country is growing, not declining. As of this writing, there are nearly 370 (!) bills in various stages of consideration, and it’s not just the sheer number that is horrifying. It is how perversely creative the sponsors of these bills are getting concerning their proposed prohibitions. For example, Kentucky has proposed a bill that combines every anti-trans youth bill into one and also effectively bans social transition as well as mental health care for transgender people. This particular bill would force every therapist in Kentucky to become a conversion therapist. It is clear to me that conservatives and Republicans (have we ever been able to separate the two?) are just getting started. What I mean by that is that, in my view, this is all just a precursor to the 2024 Presidential election cycle.
It is linked to the spike in every electoral cycle. Do you think trans issues will be central to the 2024 Presidential elections?
If you look closely enough, it’s already happening. When my book was first published in the spring of 2021 (see it here), I wrote an op-ed that appeared in The Advocate where I said:
“The transgender community (is) being hauled out to be publicly flogged in the town square to the delight of those who seek to undermine, and yes, eradicate our right to equitable and fair treatment in all facets of our lives. Sadly, this has become a tried-and-true tactic because it's an easy way to score points with a segment of society that is intent on further marginalizing an already maligned and vulnerable group of people I proudly count myself among.”
Well, it has been two years since I wrote that, and its themes of marginalization and eradication have become canon as far as the narrative on the right is concerned. It’s easy to bash a community of people that looks very different than they do, and that somehow disturbs their sensibilities. And the bonus is that we become cannon fodder for energizing their base.
Buckle up, my friend. They’re just warming up!
In the meantime, there seems to be progress on trans rights in other countries, such as recently in Spain; is there a US Exception?
My wife Mari and I were in Europe this past fall and spent some time in Spain, among other countries. While I have no specific empirical evidence to back this up, I think it has everything to do with the country’s culture, its respect for humanity, its political climate (just look at Italy as a counterpoint), and most importantly, I think it is its appreciation for having a diversity of people contribute to society. I want to believe we have the same ideals in the U.S. but have become a polarized nation.
The UN Independent expert, Victor Madrigal, recently said in Sydney: “in a world in which many want to exterminate us, self-care is a political response for which we are responsible”, does the trans backlash in the US impact your well-being? How do you cope with it?
Mentally it has taken a toll on both myself and Mari. I get it that we are fortunate to live where we live in southern California and get to go about our lives in much the same manner as anybody else. We count our blessings every day. But let’s not forget we both are white, and enjoy a small measure, mind you – of affluence that allows us to travel and experience other cultures and other parts of the world. That said, I do find myself looking over my shoulder a bit more these days. But that’s nothing compared to trans kids and their parents across this country with a target on their backs if they live in a red state.
Finally, what gives you hope amid this political discourse?
I have been accused of “hoping well,” and it is no different concerning what is happening now. Positive, pro-transgender legislation has passed or is under serious consideration in several states, powered mainly by fearless allies and advocates of the community that stand in solidarity with us and have no hesitation whatsoever in speaking truth to power. That’s what gives me hope. Because if we as a community lose hope, what’s left? Despair? I’ll never sign up for that. We have come too far to let our quality of life be taken away by those who really have no clue who we are – who I am. Try as they might, they will not legislate the transgender community out of existence!
Thanks for reading this interview, and see you on Wednesday for our regular weekly newsletter.
Fabrice