Florida State Rep. Carlos Guillermo
Smith, a Democrat from Orlando, got engaged Saturday at Disney World.
His long-time partner, Jerick
Mediavilla, proposed as the two shared the stage during an Orlando
Come Out With Pride rally.
Mediavilla was called to the stage of
the Walt Disney Amphitheater to recognize his birthday. Once there,
he quickly pivoted to proposing to his boyfriend.
“Well, you know what you do on
birthdays, right? You eat cake, you celebrate, and you ask for your
gift, right? Right? I am about to ask for my present,” Mediavilla
told the crowd as he got down on one knee and produced an engagement
ring.
“My amazing partner Jerick Mediavilla
proposed to me in front of thousands at @OrlandoPride!” Guillermo
Smith said in a tweet. “I couldn't be happier to have the freedom
to marry the man of my dreams. I love you, @Boricuizzi! TY to all
who kept me in the dark to surprise me! #LoveWins.”
According to Florida
Politics, Mediavilla worked with Pride organizers since June to
pull off his surprise engagement.
As a freshman lawmaker, Guillermo Smith
has championed LGBT rights and been a staunch advocate for survivors
and families of the victims of the Pulse shooting.