Meet the gay Latin nurse & model vying to become Mister USA 2025
Jean Carlo Salazar wants to be the next beauty pageant king at Mister USA 2025.
Mark
While the man currently running the country into ground is a total embarrassment, Jean Carlo Salazar wants to properly rep the nation with integrity, passion and a truly altruistic spirit as Mister USA 2205.
The gay 26-year-old is representing Connecticut in the “modern man pageant” which, according to its website, is seeking “male excellence” beyond physical appearance. While aesthetics definitely don’t hurt, Mister USA is searching for an “intelligent, socially aware, and charismatic” king to be their next ambassador.
And Salazar, who was born in Colombia and came to the States at the age of 10, definitely appears to have the chops, motivation, and talent to snatch the crown.
Your day is about to get a little hotter
Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to get your fix of heartthrobs with a side of the hottest queer news and culture.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
(@themisterusa)After becoming a US citizen in 2018, Salazar earned a Bachelor’s degree in psychology at Southern Connecticut State University and then another Bachelor’s in nursing at the University of Connecticut.
Salazar is currently an ICU nurse and is now working toward a Master’s degree to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.
His exceptional work ethic is matched by his dedication to staying physically fit as well. After a NYC photographer saw one of his social media thirst traps, a modeling career ensued. In between his shifts at the hospital, Salazar has posed for editorial shoots, magazine covers and runway shows.
He definitely knows how to work it for the camera.
While it’s unclear if any other of the Mister USA 2025 contestants are part of the LGBTQ+ community, Salazar has been very open about his identity and discussed the hardships he faced from his peers in high school.
“Kids can be evil and it was very tough,” he told the Connecticut Voice, before elaborating on how his very religious Catholic family also posed their own hurdles to acceptance.
“It took some time for my family to say ‘we love you. You are our child. And we don’t care what our religion or society says.'”
Thankfully, they saw the light and have been an integral to his continued success as his sister, who is also a beauty queen, was who first let him know about Mister USA.
Salazar was drawn to the Mister USA competition over its mission to showcase diversity and inclusion and in February was chosen Mr. Connecticut.
“They’re truly looking for people who do advocacy work. That’s why I want to bring my unique story,” the ICU nurse told the outlet in reference to his immigrant and queer journey, as well as his passion for uplifting his medical profession.
“I want to raise some awareness about how nurses are a catalyst to the healthcare industry.”
Watch him elaborate more on his backstory & motivations in the clip below:
Salazar will be competing against 41 other dudes (not all states are repped) in fitness, state costume, talent showcase, formal wear, swimsuit, and a multimedia presentation discussing their social projects and charitable endeavors.
The muscle pageantry all goes down on August 30th at the Universal Hollywood Hilton in Los Angeles. The winner will receive $50,000 and move on to rep the United States at the Mister Universe competition in November. Bring on the international studs!
There is also a way for fans to have a say and can vote for their favorite Mister USA contestant. The two who get the most votes are guaranteed a spot in the Top 10.
To get to know Salazar a little better, here are more of his fantastic photos from Instagram:
Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.
