The Road to Equality

Equality Florida's Michael Farmer discusses his work as coordinator of Gay Straight Alliances in high schools and outreach at Pride festivals. ; Kimberly Smith, LMHC tells us about her work with youth and adults.

Michael joined the Equality Florida team in March, 2009 as our Florida GSA Network Coordinator. Michael's responsibilities include strengthening existing Gay-Straight Alliances throughout the state,  increasing communication and cooperation between GSA's, and cultivating new GSA's wherever possible. Under Michael's guidance, the GSA Network  empowers youth to get involved in activism and create powerful change in their communities.

Michael is a student at the University of Central Florida in Orlando and is perusing a degree in political science with a minor in women's studies. In 2004, Michael helped to co-found the first ever Gay-Straight Alliance at Apopka High School, in a conservative part of north Orange County. Last year, Michael served as an intern on the Vote No On 2 Campaign first as a campus organizer at Valencia Community College and then as a field organizer for the Orlando Vote No On 2 office. Michael also currently serves at the LGBT outreach liaison for the Young Democrats of Orange County and is a committee member of the Orange County Democratic Executive Committee.