Why Florida is ground zero for America’s ‘culture war’ – By Gary Fineout and Andrew Atterbury (Politico) / March 13, 2022
Led by DeSantis, GOP politicians in the Sunshine State have stood proud as they’ve defended the policies like the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — State Sen. Shev Jones stood before his colleagues in the Legislature this week amid the debate over the bill opponents dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” and opened up in a way rarely seen in the Florida state Capitol.
Jones, a Black Democrat who is the state’s first openly gay senator, told his fellow Democratic and Republican lawmakers about his experience coming out. “Living his truth,” Jones said, prompted church members to leave his father’s congregation, friends to stop speaking with him and his own family members to make jokes about him.
“Just imagine living your life of 30 years, coming to your parents and talking about who you are — and you’re lying to them about who you are,” said Jones, a 38-year-old Democrat from Miami Gardens.
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