EQUALITY FLORIDA HEAD NADINE SMITH NAMED ONE OF TIME’S ‘100 MOST INFLUENTIAL’
Nadine Smith, the resident of St. Petersburg, who has laid the foundation of Equality Florida, has made to the list of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2022.
Smith has fought for the rights of the LGBTQ community for over three decades. She was also named in the list of 100 Most Influential Floridians by Influence Magazine in 2018.
“In the fight for equality in Florida, there has perhaps been no greater advocate for LGBTQ people than Nadine Smith,” Time wrote. “Smith has worked tirelessly to safeguard our rights and elevate our voices, combatting discrimination in employment, housing, and many other areas.”
In a statement released by Time, Smith said, “I am deeply honored to be recognized as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. This award is a testament to the brave transgender Floridians and their families who are courageously standing up to discrimination and violence.”
Smith’s fight for the LGBTQ community dates back to her college days when she founded IGLYO, the world’s largest LGBTQ youth, and student organization.
She is a Black, queer woman who has regularly spoken out about discrimination and biases against LGBTQ people when others have stayed silent,” Time wrote. “With Equality Florida, she led the charge against the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, fighting its enactment through a major civil rights lawsuit as well as a powerful television and social media ad campaign highlighting the potential impacts in classrooms.”
Smith’s background is not ordinary, as she comes from a family where breaking barriers was a norm. Her grandparents helped form the Southern Tenant Farmers Union to fight for the rights of sharecroppers.
Smith started her career as a journalist and climbed up the ladder of success as an activist for LGBTQ rights. She worked at the Herald Tribune and participated in Tampa City Council in 1991 as the city’s first openly gay Black candidate. She also co-chaired the 1993 March on Washington, and she was part of the first Oval Office meeting between a sitting President and LGBTQ leaders.
