Another barrier broken | Photo: Facebook/Representative Shevrin Jones
Shevrin Jones, a Democratic state representative from Florida has come out as gay.
Jones is a three-term representative who’s known he was gay since he was in kindergarten. He only came out to his family, however, five years ago.
When he was sworn into office, he was married to a woman. They married when Jones, whose father was a preacher, was 26 and divorced five years later in 2015.
He came out quietly. Equality Florida wrote a list endorsing LGBTI candidates, and Jones had the political director of the organization put his name down.
A record number of LGBTI people are running for office in the United States this year, and now Jones is part of that group.
Living his truth
Jones’ background was a conservative one. Now 34, he grew up attending his father’s church where he preached to 10,000 congregants.
He still has nothing but love for his ex-wife. He calls her amazing. ‘When I married her I loved her then,’ he said. ‘But I loved her too much to continue to lie to her and lie to my family. I have to be honest.’
Part of what spurred him to come out was the death of his older brother, Kaneil.
‘My brother died at the age of 34,’ he recalled. ‘I was like, that could have been me. I could drop dead living behind the scenes of something that could have helped someone else.’ That’s when he decided to start ‘living his truth a little bit more’.
If his coming out affects his political future, he brushes it aside.
‘Mark my words: Now that I’m living my truth, if I am never elected again, I’m OK with that.’
H/t: Bradenton Herald
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