Nadine Smith

Executive Director, Equality Florida, St. Petersburg

Smith helped create Equality Florida in 1997 to fight discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. She has become a national political figure, with Time magazine including her in its 2022 list of the world’s 100 most influential people. She and her organization won one of its most significant victories this year in a settlement with state education officials clarifying a 2022 law dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” It makes clear that students and teachers can talk about sexual orientation and gender identity, that the state can’t bar references to LGBTQ+ people in educational and extracurricular settings and reinforces anti-bullying protections. “This settlement not only reaffirms the rights of LGBTQ+ students and educators to live and speak openly ... It’s a testament to what we can achieve when we stand united against discrimination and for the dignity of all LGBTQ+ people in Florida,” Smith says.