Carlos Guillermo Smith

Carlos Guillermo Smith has been with Equality Florida since 2015 and now serves as Senior Policy Advisor to the organization. Carlos made history as Florida’s first openly-LGBTQ Latino lawmaker with his election to the Florida House of Representatives in 2016, where he served three consecutive two-year terms. In the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting in his community, Carlos championed the needs of survivors and families and became a national leader in gun violence prevention. A graduate of the University of Central Florida, Carlos is a respected civil rights leader who has been recognized by organizations such as the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, the Florida Alliance for Arts Education, Florida PTA, Hispanic Federation, the League of Women Voters of Florida, the LGBTQ+ Center Orlando, and the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce for his public service and advocacy. Orlando Magazine has named him as one of Orlando’s 50 Most Powerful People annually since 2018.

Carlos lives in East Orlando with his husband, Jerick Mediavilla, an educator from Corozal, Puerto Rico.