“She said, ‘I’m not arguing. I’m just asking, why?” Charlie Deppish, who witnessed police arrest Smith.

Nadine Smith, Florida Gay Rights Leader, Jailed for

Passing Out Fliers That Read: “Don’t Discriminate.”

 

     

    Nadine Smith is a leading advocate for gays and transsexuals in Florida and is executive director of Equality Florida. So it was natural that she attended a city council meeting in Largo, Florida, Tuesday (Feb. 27, 2007) to support Largo City Manager Steve Stanton, who announced he wanted to have a sex change operation.

      But when Largo Police Sgt. Butch Ward told Smith to stop handing out fliers that read “Don’t Discriminate,” she asked “Why?” That question prompted four police officers to knock her down, handcuff her, haul her off to jail and charge her with a felony count of resisting arrest with violence and disturbing others’ assembly, a misdemeanor, according to a St. Petersburg Times article published Thursday (March 1, 2007).

      Largo police spokesman Mac McMullen told the St. Petersburg Times that Smith pushed and shoved the officers. McMullen said officers prohibited fliers from being passed out because of fears they would catch fire or, if dropped on the floor, cause someone to slip and fall.

      Smith spent the night in jail and was released Wednesday morning after posting a $5,250 bond.

      The Largo City Council also voted to fire Stanton, saying employees lost faith in him because he announced he wanted to get a sex-change operation.

 

                        Equality Florida's web site is www.eqfl.org

 

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