Statements & Press Releases

Press Release ∙
Equality Florida BLASTS DeSantis with New Television Ads To Fight LGBTQ Censorship and Surveillance Agenda
Equality Florida launched a second cable television ad targeting the 'Stop WOKE Act' and 'Don't Say Gay' bill, depicting school life under DeSantis-era censorship; the ads ran on MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News in the Tallahassee market.
Equality Florida LGBTQ
Statement ∙
Equality Florida Responds To Governor DeSantis’ Doubling Down on Anti-LGBTQ Surveillance State Agenda
Responding to Governor DeSantis emphasizing anti-LGBTQ legislation as a legislative priority, Equality Florida's Nadine Smith said he is taking a page from Anita Bryant's playbook to advance his national political ambitions through censorship and surveillance.
Equality Florida LGBTQ
Press Release ∙
DeSantis Administration Escalates Attacks on LGBTQ Youth, Censors Anti-Bullying Resources
The DeSantis administration removed a Florida Department of Education web page that provided anti-bullying resources for educators, parents, and students, including materials aimed at supporting LGBTQ youth; Equality Florida demanded the resources be reinstated.
Anti-bullying LGBTQ LGBTQ Youth
Press Release ∙
Equality Florida and Biden Administration Meet with Florida Parents and Transgender Youth
Equality Florida partnered with the Biden Administration to convene calls with Florida LGBTQ leaders, parents, and transgender youth, who shared with White House officials the harms of anti-transgender legislation being pushed in Tallahassee.
Equality Florida
Statement ∙
Statement from Equality Florida on Homophobic Attacks Following School Field Trip to Rosie’s in Wilton Manors
Equality Florida's Joe Saunders defended a Wilton Manors Elementary School field trip to Rosie's, a longtime community restaurant, calling attempts to portray the lunch outing as a nightclub visit a manufactured moral panic rooted in anti-LGBTQ bigotry.
Equality Florida
Press Release ∙
Florida Parents, Lawmakers Call Out Vile Transphobic Attacks by Florida Legislature
Florida parents and Democratic lawmakers denounced HB 211, the Transgender Youth Medical Care Ban that would make providing gender-affirming care to trans minors a first-degree misdemeanor, while introducing legislation to repeal the 2021 Transgender Youth Sports Ban.
Parenting
Press Release ∙
Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith To Receive the Key to St. Petersburg
Equality Florida Co-Founder and Executive Director Nadine Smith will receive the Key to the City of St. Petersburg, the mayor's highest civilian honor, from Mayor Rick Kriseman at an October 14 City Council ceremony.
Equality Florida Nadine Smith
Press Release ∙
Florida Republicans Continue Attacks On Trans Youth; File Transgender Youth Medical Care Ban
Florida Representative Anthony Sabatini filed HB 211, a Transgender Youth Medical Care Ban that would criminalize doctors for providing gender-affirming care to trans youth; Equality Florida's Nadine Smith called it cut-and-paste language from right-wing strategy groups.
Transgender
Press Release ∙
Equality Florida Action PAC Announces Endorsement of Ken Welch for Mayor of St. Petersburg
Equality Florida Action PAC endorsed Ken Welch in his campaign for mayor of St. Petersburg, citing his record advancing LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections in Pinellas County; if elected, Welch would be the city's first Black mayor.
Equality Florida Voting
Press Release ∙
Equality Florida Staff Serve on United States Commission on Civil Rights’ Florida Advisory Committee
Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith was reappointed as Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights' Florida Advisory Committee, and Media Relations Manager Brandon Wolf was appointed to the committee for the first time.
Equality Florida