Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, the largest civil rights organization in the state, spends her days advocating on behalf of the state's LGBT population. She and her staff travel from the capital in Tallahassee to cities large and small to ensure that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. The group, which is widely considered one of the most effective statewide advocacy organizations in the country, recently helped to pass an anti-bullying bill that was subsequently adopted around the state.
"The whole state is my office" Photographed by Tom Wallace
Advocate, educate, mobilize—that motto is what drives the work of Equality Florida on behalf of the state's LGBT population. The group provides support to local groups, government agencies, private businesses, and corporations; it works to mobilize voters in support of equal rights legislation; it monitors and responds to unfair or biased media coverage; and it lobbies for the GLBT and supportive community at the state capitol.
Nadine Smith and her staff believe that local organizations are the most important component of statewide and national efforts to protect the rights of the LGBT population. Their work is measured by whether or not they help to strengthen local groups, respect the work of local activists, and build bridges between communities. You can read more about Nadine and the work of Equality Florida at eqfl.org and catch the latest news on their blog at eqfl.blogspot.com.
