Florida pushes to ban transgender students from female sports teams; critics call it ‘bigoted’

“Those guidelines are in place … and those guidelines are working,” said Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, a statewide LGBTQ civil rights group, speaking last week at a press conference in Clearwater. The bills are being put forward, Smith added, “for one reason and one reason only — somebody has convinced legislators in 25 states that by pushing this bill, they are throwing red meat to their base.”