Ex-performer Deyci Ortiz vows to push for legal protection and social security for adult-content workers despite backlash

A former adult film actress has made a dramatic transition into politics, winning a Senate seat in Colombia on a platform focused on protecting the rights of adult-content creators.

Deyci Alejandra Omena Ortiz, widely known by her former stage name Amaranta Hank, was sworn in as a senator in Bogotá on Monday under the left-wing Historic Pact coalition, according to Colombian outlet La Opinión.

The 33-year-old began her career as a journalist before entering the adult film industry in 2017. She exited the industry two years later and shifted her focus to activism and politics. Ortiz secured her Senate seat following elections held in March in the Norte de Santander region.

Now in office, she says her priority is to push legislation that guarantees social security and legal protections for individuals working in the adult-content sector—an industry she argues remains largely unregulated and vulnerable to exploitation.

“Many of these workers have been left unprotected by the state due to stigma, misinformation and double standards,” Ortiz said during her campaign. “There is a need to regulate the space and ensure basic rights.”

Ortiz has also pushed back against criticism over her past career, insisting that her experience gives her a unique perspective on inequality and labour rights.

“Why shouldn’t a woman with a background in the adult industry aspire to public office?” she asked, noting that others with similar pasts, such as former Italian lawmaker Ilona Staller, have successfully transitioned into politics.

She argues that while society consumes adult content, it often denies those involved a voice in policymaking—a contradiction she says must be addressed.