Erika Hilton

Chico: You arrived with a bodyguard. Do all congresspeople have security?
Erika: No, it’s not standard. Some other congresswomen request security too, but it’s more a result of gender-based political violence. I have a security detail because of the number of threats I receive — death threats, hate speech like racism, transphobia, rape threats. A whole range of violence that happens online, which makes it basically mandatory for me to be under constant protection.
Oh god.
Yes, and I have to protect my addresses, avoid public events with my family — I’m afraid of exposing them. A while ago there was a really awful situation where my family’s data was leaked.
Wait, what? Where was it leaked?
The police told me it was some deep web thing, data bought and sold on the black market. Like my mom’s info, my sister’s phone number…
How much space do these threats take up in your mind?
I told my legal team I didn’t want to be updated on every case anymore. I decided I didn’t want to know each time something like this happened.
Yeah, you really need to protect yourself from that.
Of course, they can’t fully shield me. I’m still on social media, I still read my messages, I manage my own political communications. So I constantly see the hate online. There must be hundreds of cases by now.
Do you see any solutions to solve this?
We, as the left, need to do our homework if we want to combat all this hate and fearmongering. We can’t ignore it either — it’s important to speak out. Right now, it’s just our failure in communication.
It’s interesting you talk about the left’s communication failure, because you’re actually an example of success, right? Your social media is on fire.
Well, I don’t think we can avoid social media anymore. We used to live in a time where radio, newspapers and TV were the main forms of communication. They had a huge influence. But today, we have the internet, social networks, platforms that can be used for harm. But I think they can also be used for good.
How do you use social media to your advantage?
When I was campaigning to become a city councilor it was during the pandemic, so we had to go all in on an online strategy. That’s when I realized how much reach and impact we could have through that space. As an individual, you can’t physically be everywhere, but your social media profile can speak to millions of people. Just one of my videos had six million views almost instantly. And the total reach, probably 130 to 150 million.
With a clear and accessible message.
Very clear, very popular and not the stereotypical political style. My critics try to say I’m not serious, not aligned with Congress’s inner workings, not doing politics the “right” way. I think that’s absurd, because I deliver results. They’ve even tried to push a narrative that I don’t show up for work. (laughs) But that’s quickly disproven — check my attendance on the transparency portal. Lies don’t hold up under the light of truth.

Why do you think your style of communication receives so much criticism?
It reaches places that traditional politicians and the left haven’t been able to access. I walk down the street, for instance, and older women, kids, teenagers, even evangelical Christians stop me to ask for photos or to share their story. In Brazil, that’s not the typical image of a politician.
It’s more like a pop artist.
Exactly.
In a recent interview, you said you wanted to be an artist as a kid.
Yes.
And politics was…
A consequence of my life and my story. I always really wanted to be an artist and I think today I’m a political artist.
Totally. Which sets you apart.
The stereotype of a politician in Brazil is still an old, corrupt man who shows up to the election every four years and never changes anyone’s life. No one thinks young, Black, trans, cool, change maker. That’s not the image that comes to mind.
No, that is not the image that immediately comes to mind.
I don’t want that traditional image tied to me. I want to be associated with what people actually like — TV, entertainment, pop divas, horoscopes, tarot, fashion, levity. And that doesn’t mean I’m not introducing and passing important legislation.
What are the most important projects you’ve brought to Congress?
The constitutional amendment to reduce working hours is mine. The debate on resilient cities is mine. Climate refugees, mine. A dignified public policy for homeless populations — that one was approved and signed into law by President Lula. And this is still my first term. I created the municipal fund to fight hunger here in São Paulo. I pushed for the congressional inquiry into violence against trans people. I’m one of the deputies who’s introduced the most legislative proposals.
You’ve been busy!
Just because I do politics in a more pop diva way doesn’t mean I’m not doing the work. But in Brazil, that just isn’t what people expect of politicians.
There was quite a fuss when you — a politician — walked the runway at São Paulo Fashion Week.
Exactly! And I’ve done Fashion Week more than once.
Why do you think nearly four million people follow you on social media?
It’s not because I’m a conservative politician in a tailored suit! No no no. I address serious political issues in a way that resonates. I go on TikTok, I follow the trends, I do the dances. It humanizes me and connects with people. I can talk about serious issues without losing the audience — and that is what the left often loses: the audience. This is where the far right wins — they bring easy, false narratives that flirt with people’s dormant emotions and capture their attention.
You’re leading one of the most relevant debates in Brazil in 2025, which is, as you stated earlier, the constitutional amendment to reduce the standard workweek. What’s the importance of this topic?
Brazil has a profoundly outdated, obsolete workweek that only allocates one day of rest. After much debate, we are proposing a five-day standard workweek with two rest days, 40 hours per week. When I presented the bill, everyone said I was crazy, but it’s now gaining momentum, exploding actually.

It’s uniting so many people across the political spectrum.
The working class — beyond left or right — are saying: ‘Yes, I deserve more rest. Yes, I deserve not to die from overwork.’
And it’s put the far right on the defensive. They are poisoning the debate with biased information, fearmongering about job loss and inflation.
Historically, before every labor reform, like when we abolished slavery, when domestic workers gained rights, when paid vacation was introduced — in all these situations, the argument was “the economy will collapse”. And now the far right is using the same argument. All they’re good for is protecting the rights of business owners. They just want to keep profiting profiting profiting — no matter the human cost.
What’s it like to be the first Black trans woman elected to the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies?
What I felt when I got there was loneliness. We often think we’re safe among friends, but sometimes, even among friends, it’s hard to find allies. Everyone has their own values and their own worldview, and that worldview is often contaminated by racism, transphobia, homophobia. Even on the left.
And this is similar to your upbringing, right? You’ve talked openly about being expelled from home, about a period of sex work. Most politicians would do the opposite — attempt to hide anything they think might discredit them.
Well, I don’t think it discredits me — it elevates me. I think it’s admirable to be a trans woman who was kicked out of her house, who engaged in sex work. Yes. To survive, to eat, to clothe herself, to have a place to live. Why not say it?
Mhm.
In the eyes of a hypocritical, sanitized society, Erika Hilton is a deputy, she speaks well, she’s polished. She’s much closer to the idealized image of cis womanhood. But what about a trans woman on the street corner? A body with exposed breasts, industrial silicone, modifications — doesn’t she deserve the same treatment, the same dignity, the same protections that are offered to me? It worries me to create this idea of “acceptable” trans women — those who deserve, who are allowed — and ignore the others. If those girls had the same opportunities, they’d be amazing people too. Or continue being amazing sex workers — why not? What’s the problem? I see no problem at all.
You’re right.
You see, they deserve protection, they deserve care, they deserve public policies. They don’t deserve violence — not from the state and not from society. And they can be sex workers, earn money with their bodies — and I see no issue with that.
Reminds me of a very powerful phrase — ‘I am Erika Hilton so that others don’t have to be Erika Hilton.’
Exactly.
What does that mean?
It means that I go through what I go through, I endure what I endure, I tell what I tell, and I defend what I defend so that my story doesn’t have to be repeated. I dream, I believe in a world, in a Brazil, where a 14-year-old girl is not disowned by her mother just for being who she is. Where she doesn’t have to end up on a cold street corner. So even though I’m proud of my story — it made me who I am today — I’m only proud of it because I lived through it. But it’s not a story we should replicate around the world. On the contrary. I think it’s a story that should end. I want to ensure that girls like me, who had no role models — just as I had none — can have them now. That a 10- or 12-year-old trans girl doesn’t think her only future is a street corner or jail cell or smoking crack. I want them to believe they can be congresswomen, models, doctors, judges, prosecutors, teachers — whatever they want. More than that, I want to convince their families that they CAN be anything, that they DESERVE it.

Exactly. So the American government recently committed a crime against you.
Look, it was shocking, because we already knew about all the moves by the American government against the trans population, but we never imagined it would go so far as to cross borders. Never.
Please explain what happened?
I was invited to give a talk at Harvard. Then, suddenly, they try to deny me a diplomatic visa. Okay, so I submit all the requested documents. And then they say, ‘Okay, fine. We’ll issue the diplomatic visa, but due to the new administration, it will list your sex as male.’
What?!
Yeah, I was horrified. Shocked. It took me a few days to process and figure out what steps to take. I realized I needed to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the President of Brazil and notify the UN and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. But very little has been done. The process at the UN could take years and I highly doubt anyone will take a stand against the US for disrespecting the gender of a Brazilian congresswoman.
Now moving on to the fun part — tell us about Auntie Erika Hilton!
Wow! (laughs)
It’s recent, right?
Yeah, it is recent.
How recent?
A year and four months.
And what have you discovered about yourself in that process?
It’s the first time I’ve become an aunt. And kind of a second mom too. My sister doesn’t work, so I handle all the big things, like school decisions, you know. It’s wild. And it’s one of the most wonderful things I’ve ever experienced. It’s such a pure love. So effortless. But I’m a problematic aunt — because I’m totally the one who spoils him. And I never say no. (laughs)
Is there another side, like concern?
It’s a crazy kind of love, because it’s a love that also hurts. You see such a tiny child in a world so full of problems. A little Black boy, and you think, ‘My god…what will he face?’ Now I feel I need to fight much much more — to build a slightly better world for him. So I’m that doting aunt. But then there are these situations where my public profile gets in the way. Last month he had his first school performance and I didn’t go. I didn’t want to be associated with him at school by other parents. It’s in the countryside, at a private school, an upper-middle-class area. And I thought, ‘These are very pro-Bolsonaro towns.’

Was it an easy decision?
No, it was really hard. Very difficult. My sister really wanted me to be there. I missed his first performance. It was unbearable. But I saw photos. My boyfriend went and filmed. I saw the videos. I was at their house, waiting for them to come back.
That’s a shame. I’m sorry. That must not have been easy.
No, it wasn’t.
And you mentioned your boyfriend. Is protecting him also a concern? What is a congresswoman’s love life like?
It’s definitely a concern — I want to protect everyone who didn’t choose politics. He’s a trans man who already faces his own attacks on social media because he creates content. But I’ve always been very private. I’m not someone who films everything or constantly shares my personal life. I need to have my private space, and one of the biggest reasons why I don’t show him on my social media is to protect him. It’s about care, in the end.
What’s it like having access to things you didn’t have years ago? Last time we talked about this, you had eight lace fronts. I won’t say the word “wig” — you said that isn’t classy. (laughs)
In the beginning, it was wild — I didn’t know how to handle it. I kept thinking it was all going to end. That’s the reflection of poverty — the fear of scarcity, imposter syndrome. I still feel that sometimes and I’m working on it in therapy. But there’s a very positive side — being able to build the Erika I always imagined. And I never sought to be a diva, but suddenly I became one — and I liked it.
The diva thing came naturally, right?
I love beautiful things. I love luxury — and I defend luxury as long as it becomes accessible to everyone. I’ve never said ‘Let’s all be poor.’ Luxury exists. I might even support an anticapitalist society, but I want to film great content. And if the iPhone gives me the best image quality to communicate, then call me an “iPhone socialist”. Because I AM an iPhone socialist. Prada, Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega…
In a Diesel dress today.
And a Prada bag too. (laughs) The thing is — I don’t own a house, I don’t own a car, I don’t own land. I don’t own anything! No, I have expensive bags, expensive clothes, expensive hair. That’s what I invest in. And I don’t see any contradiction. The thing is, I’ve gained more attention from the public than colleagues who criticize me while they’re doing cosplay of poverty and earning the same salary as I do.
What was the last thing you bought?
A ton of clothes. I have serious issues with shopping. I buy way too much and spilt the bill across six cards. (laughs)
Now a very serious question — you’re 32 years old. At 35, you’ll be eligible to run for President of Brazil. Do you see the country electing Erika Hilton?
It’s a possibility, but whether Brazil would elect someone like me, that’s another story.
Brazil is in a very tough spot at the moment.
The whole world is. We need deep grassroots work to get to the point where there is justice. If one day I feel ready and I look at my time in Congress and see that real change has been made, then maybe. But right now, it’s already like being thrown into the lion’s den.

Why’s that?
Brazil is racist. Brazil is transphobic. Look, Brazil cannot stand Erika Hilton. The bubble that elects, supports and legitimizes Erika Hilton is a large part of Brazil, a huge part. But it’s not all of Brazil. No, Brazil still hates the idea that this woman has a voice, is on TV, respected, holding political office, confronting corruption and the status quo. Brazil still has to do its homework. It needs to clean up its soul. To build the path for that kind of future where a Black trans woman could be president. But I do believe we’re laying the groundwork. We’re building this new Brazil, slowly, day by day.
And today, we are talking about it. Look how busy you are spreading the message!
I know. I was in Brasília all week and then on Thursday I flew to Rio just to shoot for a TV show. Friday, a completely packed schedule. And today, I’m just coming back from the countryside where I was busy with some activities at a university.
Just today?!
Yeah. I barely had time to change before coming here.
You look fabulous.