Nadine Smith

Nadine Smith is an LGBT activist and has been the executive director of Equality Florida since its inception in 1997 and serves as a legislative lobbyist, living in Tallahassee during session. In 1986, Smith served on the founding board of the International Gay and Lesbian Organization.[1][2] Smith has been recognized as a national leader by organizations including: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Human Rights Campaign, Human Rights Task Force of Florida, National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum.[1]

Nadine Smith at the 1993 National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Creating Change Conference.

A former journalist, Smith has written syndicated columns for various gay and mainstream publications. Smith was an award-winning investigative journalist for WUSF, the National Public Radio affiliate in Tampa, and later became a reporter for the Tampa Tribune. Smith also freelanced for national and local publications.

In 1991, Smith was the first openly lesbian African-American to run for Tampa City Council, earning the most votes in the primary and garnering 42% in the run-off.

In 1993, Smith was part of the historic oval office meeting between then-incumbent President of the United States Bill Clinton and LGBT social movements leaders. Smith was co-chair of the 1993 March on Washington, coordinating national and international media. She also served four terms as co-chair of the Federation of Statewide LGBT Advocacy Organizations.

Smith attended the U.S. Air Force Academy after graduating High School in Panama City. She left after the passage of Don't Ask Don't Tell in 1993. She earned a Mass Communication degree from the University of South Florida.

In 1995, Smith served as campaign manager for Citizens for a Fair Tampa, a successful effort to prevent the repeal of the city's human rights ordinance, which included sexual orientation.

Smith has been an outspoken advocate for anti-hate crimes and anti-bullying legislation.[3] In 2008, Equality Florida's efforts resulted in the passage of a statewide anti-bullying law that has spurred school districts across the state to include sexual orientation and gender identity in their anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies.

From 2006 - 2009, Smith served on the Board for Fairness for All Families, a grassroots effort to protect LGBT families in the face of a ballot measure that banned recognition of marriage between same sex couples.[4] The measure which passed with approx 62% of the vote also banned protection that are "substantial equivalent of marriage".

In 2007, Smith was arrested at a Largo City Council hearing after handing someone a flier that had the words "Don't Discriminate" printed on it.[5] The council was debating whether or not to fire Susan Stanton, the city manager who had transitioned from male to female. The charges were later dropped. The Police Chief and the City Council issued official apologies.

In 2010 Smith brought Florida's anti-gay adoption law that bans any gay person from adopting to the attention of President Obama. During a White House event, she presented the President with a picture of two boys the state of Florida is trying to block from being adopted by the gay man who has been their foster father for more than 5 years.[6]

Smith has served as a spokesperson for Equality Florida denouncing the adoption ban, in particular challenging the state for using huge sums of taxpayer dollars to fund a discredited anti-gay activist as their star witness.[7]