Full Breakdown
False Homophobic Text Campaign Targets Florida Candidate Shevrin Jones
8/15/2026, 1:52:32 AM
The False Text Message and Its Immediate Impact
A text message circulated to voters falsely claimed that openly gay State Senator Shevrin Jones is living with HIV and was denied the chance to donate blood to a COVID-19 survivor because of his alleged diagnosis. The message cited a 2020 news story about Jones being turned away from blood donation, but that article never mentioned HIV. It also asserted that the text was “paid for by Equality Florida,” a statewide LGBTQ + advocacy group that has endorsed Jones. The campaign has drawn widespread condemnation and prompted Equality Florida to explore legal action to identify the perpetrators.
Background on Blood-Donation Policy and HIV Stigma
Jones was previously barred from donating blood under a federal policy that restricted donations from gay and bisexual men. The Biden administration relaxed those rules in 2023, eliminating the explicit ban. In Florida, stigma around HIV remains high; earlier this year the state health department cut funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, a decision later reversed when the state budget passed in June.
Official Statements & Responses
Senator Jones denounced the text as a “low” and “despicable” attack, emphasizing that he is not HIV-positive and refusing to defend himself in a way that stigmatizes people living with HIV. Equality Florida spokesperson Brandon Wolf asserted that the organization did not send the messages and that the false attribution violated federal law. Congressional candidate Kendrick Meek Jr. described it as a “fraudulent, homophobic smear” and urged accountability before the upcoming primary.
Criticism & Opposition
Local voters expressed disgust, with one caller describing the tactic as “low-down and despicable.” Both Gilbert and Meek Jr. joined Jones in condemning the smear, highlighting the broader harm such misinformation inflicts on the LGBTQ + community and public health discourse.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Equality Florida did not send these text messages,” — Brandon Wolf, a spokesperson for the advocacy group
- “I saw the attack made against Shevrin Jones today,” — Oliver Gilbert, miami-dade commissioner
- “I was like, wow. I said, now that's low,” — Shevrin Jones, florida state senator
- “First, the message is false. I am not HIV positive, but I want to be very careful about how I respond to that, because I refuse to defend myself in a way that stigmatizes somebody else,” — Shevrin Jones, florida state senator
- “HIV is not something to be ashamed of and being gay does not mean someone has HIV. What somebody did was take an old dangerous stereotype about gay people and HIV and weaponize it for political purposes,” — Shevrin Jones, florida state senator
- “People deserve to know actually who paid for it and who sent it. It's dangerous, it's uncalled for and we should not allow people to get away with that type of behavior,” — Shevrin Jones, florida state senator
