was passed by the Senate this week,
after an emotional debate from state Senator Shevrin Jones,
the first openly gay state Senator in Florida's history.
I spoke to him after the vote.
A couple of days have now passed since,
since the whole floor debate over
the so-called Don't Say Gay bill.
As you reflect just on what's occurred this week,
just regarding that bill, what are your thoughts?
>>Callousness that my Republican colleagues have
towards the lives of marginalized people.
Not just the LGBTQ community,
but immigrants and blacks also.
And I think it was on full display this week
when we did the parental rights and education bill,
AKA Don't Say Gay bill,
that callousness was shown once again,
that Florida is not interested in attacking
the real issues that Floridians are really dealing with.
They rather send red meat to their base
to show that they are taking a victory lap
in how they railroad people's lives.
And it is unfortunate because this is the,
in my 11 years being in the legislature, Jim,
this is the most heartbreaking legislative session
that I've ever been through.
>>You know, obviously the supporters of the bill
like to point out that nowhere do the words
"don't say gay" appear in the bill.
That this is just simply about, you know,
making sure that there are no inappropriate conversations
between kindergarten and third grade
related to sexual orientation or sexual identity.
And that who couldn't possibly agree with that,
that that's not the time or place
to have these conversations.
So why was this such, such a nerve?
Why did this bill hit such a nerve for so many,
do you believe?
>>Well I think my Republican colleagues need to be honest,
because the behind the scenes conversations,
they have made it clear to exactly what this bill
was intended to to do.
As a matter of fact the bill sponsor
said loudly what the bill was intended to do.
He said that schools are socially engineering children
to become gay.
He said that.
And so he,
and that was his reasoning for putting forth this bill.
So on the surface this bill was discriminatory
when it came out.
And right, you're right,
the bill does not say the words "don't say gay."
But section three implies it,
because section three of the bill explicitly says
that it is doing away with the,
any conversations from teachers or school districts
that's dealing with sexual orientation or gender identity.
>>I think, I think the, part of the point too is,
is that when you introduce a bill like this,
and let's be clear, there were no instruction, you know,
K through third grade on sexual orientation,
sexual identity, any of those, those issues.
No second grade teacher was teaching this
as part of their classroom.
So this was a, you know,
a bill in search of a problem that didn't exist.
But I know that to many what this really did was
it created an environment where LGBT kids in particular
would feel marginalized, would feel attacked.
So that's the harm in this, am I wrong?
>>No, you're not wrong at all.
And I wanna make sure I make a correction on something
that and excuse me, answer what you said at the beginning.
And that was that no, at no time did any of my colleagues,
do we believe, excuse me,
that sexuality, or gender identity, or the like,
should be taught in grades K, one, two and three.
And the fact that they are moving with this talking point
that the Democrats want to teach children about sex
is just a lie.
It is something that they're trying to win.
And it's lame, to be honest with you,
because no one in their right mind will try
to teach a child, a kindergartner, about sex.
And that is not what's happening.
But what is being said loud is exactly
what the governor's press secretary said.
She's calling supporters,
I mean opponents of this bill groomers, AKA pedophiles.
Or what the president of the family policy council said,
that this is the "don't turn my son into a daughter" bill.
And so everything that they want,
that they believe, they are saying the quiet part out loud.
The build is discriminatory on the surface.
On the surface.
And they knew that it was discriminatory on its surface.
>>You know, this was an intensely personal debate
for you watching it.
You are the first openly gay state Senator
in the state's history.
You spoke on the floor,
and actually broke down, talking about, you know,
a book that your father had written and,
in which he indicated in the book, as you read it,
that he wasn't proud of you.
That he, that there was,
that your coming out had shook him in a way
that left him questioning you, in some ways.
You know, talk to me about how difficult it was
to share that story,
and then the conversation you had later that day
with your father, if you don't mind.
>>Yeah. The, so my dad did, my dad wrote a book.
And yeah, I went on Amazon and bought it because I did,
I wanted to read it myself.
And I read through the introduction,
and it's actually a good book.
And it's, it's very inspiring
because it speaks about my dad's experience.
As you know, Jim, we lost my brother four years ago
very suddenly to a blood clot.
And so my dad talks about that loss,
but then he also speaks about his disappointment
in me sharing my truth in coming out as being gay.
And when, when my dad wrote that portion you know,
it take, it took me, I was taken aback for a few minutes
because I didn't know what to think in that moment.
Like I knew I needed to share that in my testimony,
or in my debate,
because I don't know who I could have helped in that moment
as a now 38 year old man coming out at the age 34,
living like half of your life, like in quiet in the closet,
just wanting to do your parents proud.
And it was, that was hard for me.
And that was the first time,
first time that I actually shared my story
from the perspective of reading my dad's book,
it was on the floor.
So that's why it was so raw to everybody, even to me.
But yeah, my dad, my dad loves me.
I talked to my dad yesterday,
and I talked to my dad right after I did that debate.
And my dad just shared, listen, I had to share my story too.
I had to go after my own freedom also.
I wasn't trying to hurt you,
but I just needed to free myself
that when you did come out that, you know,
it was hurtful for me.
Because I had, as a father, I had a certain thought
of what I wanted my children to be.
And maybe I was wrong, or maybe I did something wrong.
Like I told my dad, you did nothing wrong.
You did everything right.
You raised all of us to be just exceptional young men,
to respect people and love people.
And you, they did a great job.
>>Well, you, we should also,
we should also note your father's a pastor.
>>He is, he is.
>>So you also had the church part of it as well.
And, and you talked about how, you know,
there was some people who-
>>Who left. >>Who left the church.
>>Yeah. >>After you came out.
>>I think one of your very first interviews after you,
after you came out was on my show, was on this show.
>>It was. >>Talking about it.
And I'll always remember that conversation.
>>Yeah.
>>And I'm sure that was,
that was in its own way difficult for your father
to see and hear.
>>Yeah. Yeah.
>>But you talked to him afterwards and you know,
you said that things are, things are good now, right?
>>Oh, absolutely. Yeah.
Look, I don't know where I would be without my parents.
But to the church portion,
we did have members who left the church after that,
because they, after I came out.
Because they did not believe,
they didn't think that my dad handled the situation
I guess the way that they wanted it to be handled.
Which is unfortunate because yeah,
the church is they metaphorically they say
the church is the hospital.
Everybody's in the church who is sick.
But it, sometimes it doesn't seem like that.
Sometimes it seems as if it,
sometimes it seems as if it's,
you're being pointed out more than anyone else.
And it is unfortunate,
because so many young people have left churches
because church sometimes it's just not
the most loving place to go.
>>I just have to ask you for your response,
as you listen to your colleague, Senator Ileana Garcia,
give her speech on the floor over this.
>>Gay is not a permanent thing.
LGBT is not a permanent thing.
And it's not a bad thing.
There's something that I learned from Senator Baxley is,
these bills are great topics for happy hour.
They're a great topic for conversation.
That's what, that's what we are as a Republic,
a practicing democracy.
That's what we do.
>>When you heard her say that, what was your reaction?
And now that you think about it a little bit more,
what's your reaction?
>>Well, yeah, I think that,
I think Senator Garcia, I think she knows.
And she knows that there are quite a few members
of the LGBTQ community who disagree with her,
for her comments to say
that these are happy hour conversations.
These are not happy hour conversations.
A lot of these conversations are actually conversations
that has to happen with a counselor behind closed doors,
because people don't know how to handle the backlash
in living their truths.
So these are not happy hour conversations.
Some of them are very tough talks.
And along with that, you know,
I really want my colleagues to step outside
of talking points and, and really look at,
even looking at your words cause words matter.
And, and I also think that Senator Garcia,
who represents portions of Miami beach,
she should definitely just take a look at her,
her base of people who are there.
If you represent them, forget your political party,
those people are expecting you,
whether they voted for you or not,
they're expecting you to support them
as you're up here legislating.
They didn't send you up here to be their pastor.
They sent you up here to be their representative.
>>Did you have any conversation with her after,
after her speech?
>>Just outside of her,
she just shared that that's,
that's not what she meant.
And listen, I mean,
I don't judge somebody on their worst day, so.
And just like I shared with her,
I just say, Hey, listen, I totally understand.
And maybe that's, this is a a teachable moment for her
to where she should apologize.
Because again, words matter, Jim.
And so she should definitely just reach out
to the LGBTQ community and make it clear that,
Hey, listen, you mean whether,
whether she support it or not,
that she should make it clear to what she was trying to say.
Because right now now it's totally misinterpreted.
I mean even Andy Cohen made it clear that you,
this is not happy hour conversation.
These are real people's lives that you're speaking about.