Shevrin Jones knows the value of LGBTQ representation in the Florida Senate

For the past four years, the Senator was … Shevrin Jones was that only LGBTQ member of the State Senate. He sees this not only as a historical claim, but as an important responsibility.

“I’m a firm believer that if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,” he said. “That kind of representation is important.”

In the final days of Pride Month, the Miami Gardens Democrat spoke about the importance of electing LGBTQ people and allies to the Florida Legislature. In fact, he worked with the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee aims to highlight this issue nationally as the organization aims to elect more LGBTQ candidates to government offices across the country.

“They still have faith in us,” Jones said of Democrats nationally, “and they still believe Florida is in the race.”

This was particularly evident over the past two years, when Republican supermajorities in the Florida House and Senate passed legislation that was seen as harmful to Florida’s LGBTQ population. Jones was often the loudest voice raising concerns about bills like the Stop the WOKE law and what critics call “don’t say gay“-law. As a black man with a large constituency in the cities of South Florida, he emphasizes that many of the measures were also harmful to ethnic minorities.

He has personally testified on numerous occasions about how such policies adversely affect marginalized communities and was the only member of the Senate who had the personal authority to do so as a member of the LGBTQ community.

That will change next year. Carlos Guillermo Smith elected unopposed to a Senate seat in Central Florida. Smith is only the second openly gay person elected to the chamber.

“I am confident that we have another member of the LGBTQ community joining me in the Senate,” Jones said.

But he is keen to ensure that Democrats do not remain in the minority next year, unable to do much in the chamber to stop their policies other than airing heartbreaking reports.

The senator believes he has earned respect from both Democratic and Republican colleagues as a state senator and believes that may have made a difference in this year’s legislative session. Unlike last year, when culture war bills seemed to fly out of a hopper onto Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk, a number of bills were defeated in the Senate, including a ban on flying Pride flags on state property.

“Not only is there collegial respect in the Senate, but I think the last session showed us who the Senate can be,” he said. “Many anti-LGBTQ bills came out of the House, and we didn’t see them because the Senate president made it clear they wouldn’t be heard.”

“When I was in the House, we always said that bad bills end up in the Senate. If we can get that right again, we’re doing the best thing for Florida.”

He hopes the personal respect he has earned from his colleagues has had a positive impact, but Jones also said resistance to tolerance is a character flaw the public cannot afford. He has tried to make it clear to his colleagues that each and every one of them represents people from marginalized communities, even if they do not make up a majority of the half-million voters in each Senate district or of Florida’s 22 million residents overall.

Post views: 0