Three-term Florida state Representative
Shevrin Jones has announced he's gay.
According to the Miami Herald,
Jones' low-key coming out consisted of being included in Equality
Florida's list of endorsements of openly gay candidates.
“I said I don't know if that's the
way I want to have a coming out party,” Jones
said. “Then I was like, 'You know what, go ahead. It's
fine.'”
Jones, a 34-year-old Democrat, said
that he's known about his sexual orientation since he was in
kindergarten but only told his family about five years ago.
Jones, who divorced at 31 after a 5
year marriage, was still with his ex-wife when he was first sworn
into office in 2013.
He said his brother's death motivated
him to come out publicly.
“My brother died at the age of 34,”
he said. “I was like, that could have been me. I could drop dead
living behind the scenes of something that could have helped someone
else. I started living my truth just a little bit more.”
“She's amazing,” he said of his
ex-wife. “When I married her, I loved her then. But I loved her
too much to continue to lie to her and lie to my family. I have to
be honest.”