Largo FL officials issue apology to Equality Florida Exec
The City Commission of Largo, Florida issued an official apology to Nadine Smith, the Executive Director of Equality Florida, an LGBT advocacy organization.
Smith faced what she describes as police brutality after being arrested at a February 27th City Council meeting. She was arrested for handing a “Don’t Discriminate” flyer to a citizen who had asked her for it.
According to an Equality Florida press release:
Acting City Manager, Mac Craig, read the formal apology during the June 5th commission hearing, referring to the incident as “regrettable,” and saying, “We wish it would not have happened.” Earlier in the day, Craig contacted Nadine to inform her that the apology would be forthcoming.
“Realizing that the arrest and mistreatment of Nadine Smith should never have happened is an important first step toward implementing policies that ensure that this never happen again,” said Brian Winfield, communications director for Equality Florida.
Smith was at the meeting to protest the firing of Largo’s City Manager, who had announced she was transgender.
An audio clip of the meeting and apology is available here.
Technorati Tags: Nadine Smith, Equality Florida, Largo, Florida
Matt, 22, is an LGBT journalist, activist and youth advocate currently living and working in Charlotte, N.C., where he serves as the Editor of Q-Notes, the Carolinas' LGBT news source. A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Matt attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is still continuing to pursue his bachelors degree. He is the Owner & Editor of InterstateQ.com and has been active in LGBT advocacy work since the age of 14.
View all posts by Matt