Angelique Godwin speaks at the “Let Us Live” March. (Photo by Samantha Ponzillo)
Equality Florida announced May 17 that activist and entertainer Angelique Godwin has been appointed as the organization’s new Director of Transgender Equality.
Known for her advocacy in Tampa Bay and beyond, Godwin most recently served as Equality Florida’s TransAction Florida Special Event Coordinator. The organization noted she has spent years working for equal rights.
Before officially joining Equality Florida, Godwin worked with the organization as a key part of the “Drag2Talle Nine.” The group traveled to Tallahassee throughout the 2023 legislative session to speak out against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and share their stories with lawmakers, work which Equality Florida honored last year during their annual Tampa Gala.
“The nine of us all are part of the local Tampa Bay community,” Godwin shared at the time. “We are the true definition of what happens when you put community together, because you cannot have community without unity. It takes all of us coming together to do that, and we are a prime example that when you use your voice, real things happen.”
The activist was also instrumental in the success of last year’s historic Drag Queen March, which brought hundreds of drag artists and allies to Tallahassee in protest of the state’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Since then she helped organize the “Let Us Live” March at the Capitol, which saw over 200 transgender Floridians and their allies in attendance.
Godwin subsequently hosted the “Voices for Change” summit, a statewide event that brought together over 60 trans-led organizations, groups, leaders and businesses. The goal of the summit was to create a better quality of life for trans, nonbinary and intersex individuals across the state of Florida.
“The attacks we’ve experienced on our rights over the last few years have been part of a concerted strategy by right-wing forces, and Florida has been the proving ground to roll back our rights across several states — and their goal is clearly to strip our rights and freedoms nationwide,” Godwin shared May 17. “That’s why it’s so crucial that we invest in our own strategy, and our own leaders, because change is coming, and its face knows no gender.”
Executive Director Nadine Smith also reflected on her appointment in an email to Equality Florida supporters.
“I can’t imagine anyone better suited to lead our Transgender Equality program into the future,” Smith wrote. “At a time when Governor DeSantis and right-wing extremists have placed a target squarely on the trans community, making Florida less safe, this work has never been more important. With Angelique at the helm, we know we can take on the challenges that lie ahead. But she’s going to need all of us standing and fighting beside her.”
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Learn more about Equality Florida and their work at EQFL.org.
