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Equality Florida Denies HIV Text, Seeks Source

8/15/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Florida Senator Shevrin Jones was targeted by a false text claiming he is HIV positive and that Equality Florida paid for it.
Equality Florida denied involvement and said it is pursuing legal action to identify the source.
Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert and former U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek Jr. condemned the message as hateful, referencing a 2020 story about Jones being denied a blood donation under a gay-men ban relaxed in 2023.

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Story summary

Florida Senator Shevrin Jones was targeted by a false text claiming he is HIV positive and that Equality Florida paid for it.
Equality Florida denied involvement and said it is pursuing legal action to identify the source.
Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert and former U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek Jr. condemned the message as hateful, referencing a 2020 story about Jones being denied a blood donation under a gay-men ban relaxed in 2023.