Nadine Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nadine Smith
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Smith at the 1993 National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Creating Change Conference
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| Born | August 27, 1965 |
| Education | University of South Florida (BA, 1987) |
| Organization | Equality Florida |
| Movement | LGBT rights movement |
| Spouse(s) |
Andrea Hildebran
(m. 2012) |
| Children | 1 |
Nadine Smith, born on August 27, 1965, is a well-known activist who works for the rights of LGBT people. She has been the main leader of Equality Florida since it started in 1997. She also works as a lobbyist, which means she talks to lawmakers in Tallahassee to help create fair laws.
Before becoming an activist, Smith was a journalist. She wrote articles for many different newspapers and magazines. She also won awards for her work as an investigative reporter for WUSF, a radio station in Tampa. Later, she reported for the Tampa Tribune newspaper.
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Early Life and Education
Nadine Smith was born in Bangor, Maine. When she was young, her family moved to Panama City, Florida. She finished high school at Rutherford High School.
After high school, Smith went to the U.S. Air Force Academy. She left the Academy in 1993 because of a policy called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." This policy meant that gay people could not openly serve in the military.
In 1987, Smith graduated from the University of South Florida. She earned a degree in Mass Communication.
Career Highlights
Running for Office
In 1991, Nadine Smith was the first openly lesbian African-American person to run for a seat on the Tampa City Council. She received the most votes in the first election. In the final election, she earned 42% of the votes.
National Activism
In 1993, Smith was part of an important meeting at the White House. She met with then-President Bill Clinton and other leaders who supported LGBT rights. Smith also helped organize the 1993 March on Washington. She was in charge of coordinating media from around the world for this big event.
Protecting Human Rights
In 1995, Smith managed a campaign called "Citizens for a Fair Tampa." This group successfully stopped an effort to remove a city law that protected human rights, including those based on sexual orientation.
From 2006 to 2009, Smith served on the Board for Fairness for All Families. This group worked to protect LGBT families in Florida. They faced a ballot measure in 2008 that aimed to ban marriage between same-sex couples. This measure passed with about 62% of the vote.
In 2007, Smith was arrested at a city council meeting in Largo. She had handed out a flyer that said "Don't Discriminate." The council was discussing whether to fire Susan Stanton, who was the city manager and transgender.
Awards and Honors
- In 2016, the League of Women Voters gave Smith the Woman of Distinction Award.
- In 2022, Smith received the "but for" Leadership Florida Award. This award recognizes people who have worked to make life better for Floridians.
- In 2022, Time magazine included Smith on their Time 100 list. This list features the 100 most influential people in the world.
- Also in 2022, the GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders gave Smith the Spirit of Justice Award. They recognized her work as a "national human rights advocate, organizer, and LGBTQ equality champion for over three decades."
