Juan Carlos Florian, an ex-porn star and gay rights campaigner has been appointed as Colombia’s new equality minister, colombiaone.com said on Saturday. Juan Carlos Florian appointment to cabinet was confirmed on Saturday amid opposition and public criticism.
Florian, ex-sex worker and gay porn producer, will oversee an agency responsible for ensuring vulnerable groups have access to social programs.
Experience in Government and International Organizations
Juan Carlos Florian has previously served as a junior minister and been employed in different international organisations.
Over 50 ministers have gone through leftist President Gustavo Petro’s cabinet since his assumption of office three years ago.
A Long Career in Activism and Human Rights
Juan Carlos Florian, who is a political scientist with more than two decades of work experience in the field of human rights activism and international cooperation, had served as vice minister of equality since April.
He has publicly explained his personal experience.
In an Instagram post, he wrote, “I come from the streets, from the struggle, from real activism. I was a sex worker, I made adult content, I am HIV positive, and I was a migrant.”
From the Margins to Public Office
He mentioned his qualifications alongside his background, stating, “But I am also a political scientist, I have been a builder of public policies, a public manager, a human rights defender, a vice minister and, above all, a son of the people who does not forget where he comes from.”
Florian’s background in the adult entertainment industry had raised political controversy within the government of Colombia. The ministry of equality was originally led by vice president Francia Márquez, who was said to have been against Florian’s appointment to the vice-ministerial role when it was first proposed.
President Petro Defends Florian’s Appointment
President Petro addressed the controversy during a nationally televised ministerial council, saying, “Nobody who is Black is going to tell me that we have to exclude a porn actor who created a workers union in Paris.”
Petro has remained firm in his support of Florian, pointing to his expertise and the challenges he’s overcome. The president recalled that Florian received death threats while leading Bogota’s LGBTI office, prompting him to flee to Paris, where he had to “resort to becoming a Webcam model to survive.” Florian has confirmed his involvement in a sex worker’s union in Paris.
