Nate Quinn’s advocacy for transgender students, like himself, at Pine View School have taken Quinn from a quiet, confused teenager who longed to feel comfortable in his own skin to a vocal advocate for the transgender and queer communities.
On Saturday, Quinn will be the keynote speaker at Sarasota’s Harvey Milk Festival, which celebrates the life of Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay Americans elected to public office who was assassinated in 1978. The festival also promotes equality for LGBTQ people through political action and advocacy.
Sharon Fortner, festival president and founder, said Quinn was an obvious choice.
“I think it’s important to show local youth that they have a supportive platform,” Fortner said. “What he’s done is amazing. He’s rallied so many groups and has brought so much awareness to trans issues.”
Quinn has not always been as confident in himself as he is now. He also was not aware he was transgender until he was 16.
About a year and a half after Quinn came out to family, friends and staff at Pine View School, he has led a local push for more transgender friendly policies in Sarasota County schools.
He organized a call-in protest that ultimately saw Pine View School change its bathroom policy to allow transgender students to use the restroom that matches their gender identity. He has spoken at Sarasota County School Board meetings urging board members to set district-wide rules that would grant trans people access to the restrooms and locker rooms they identify with.
When the School Board didn’t act, he organized a protest outside a School Board meeting and another in downtown Sarasota to rouse public support.
He organized two other protests and has drafted a list of demands called Nate’s List.
Among the demands: A trans-inclusive dress code, harassment and bathroom/locker room policy; training and education about transgender inclusive policies for staff members; and having a representative from Sarasota County schools attend the LGBTQ Florida School District conference.
Board member Jane Goodwin already attended the conference, crossing of one of the demands on Quinn’s list.
Quinn said he will not stop until the other two proposals are finished. He said he does not want other students to go through awkward conversations with administrators, protests against their presence in a bathroom or to feel diminished because of their gender identity.
Worries about his personal safety persist, he said.
“But I would rather be fighting for rights and have something bad happen than just sit back and let people be mistreated,” Quinn said.
For more on the Harvey Milk Festival check out Ticket’s guide.