Texas Representative Venton Jones (D–Dallas) shocked friends and colleagues in January when he got down on one knee and proposed to his longtime partner, Gregory Scott Jr., on the House floor in the State Capitol. The proposal took place moments after Jones was sworn in on the first day of the legislative session.

 

In 2022, Jones, who lives with HIV, became one of the first Black gay men elected to the Texas Legislature. In January, he marked the start of his second term as representative for House District 100, which includes parts of Dallas and Dallas County.

Venton Jones, a state lawmaker in Texas who is HIV positive, proposes to his partner, Gregory Scott Jr., on the floor of the state House on January 14, 2025.

Venton JonesInstagram/@ventonjonestx

 

Following his proposal, Jones addressed the room and said he plans to use his power as House Democratic Caucus whip and vice chair of the LGBTQ Caucus “to protect all Texans.”

 

In a 2022 interview with POZ, Jones said: “As a person who lives at the intersection of being Black, gay and a person living with HIV, I learned to be fearless not only in fighting for my own life but also in fighting for the lives of the people around me, my village.”

 

Throughout his career, Jones has advocated for health equity and social justice for marginalized communities in the South. Today, he works with numerous organizations in support of this mission, including as chairman of the Dallas County HIV Task Force and vice chair of the Ryan White Planning Council of the Dallas area.

 

Jones is also the CEO of the Southern Black Policy and Advocacy Network, a nonprofit that works to train and mobilize a new generation of public health leaders.

 

“My policy work was so much deeper than just HIV. It was about ending racism and discrimination, improving economic outcomes and social justice and building bridges for communities to have their seat at the tables of power and influence,” he told POZ.