My BiL Roger Montoya won his election for NM House District 40 and has become the first openly gay State Representative in the NM Legislature. As a Democrat, of course.
The Santa Fe Reporter has the in-depth story, including the sleazy smear attempt by the odious NM Republican Party.
Plenty of people knew Roger Montoya's name in Northern New Mexico long before CNN honored him on national television in 2019—and before his election last week to the House of Representatives.
They had seen the impact he'd made on kids' lives as a co-founder of Moving Arts Española.
They were familiar with his advocacy for people with HIV and AIDS. They respected his work for the homeless and addicted.
It's those deeds, and the actions still to come, upon which he wants to continue staking his name—not a political maneuver that marked the final weeks of the campaign.
Roger is asking for a little help:
In addition to serving as NM House District 40 Representative, I want to build an organization that will recruit and educate the next generation of progressive campaign staffers, policymakers and leaders in New Mexico, including Native Americans, immigrants and members of the LGBTQ community. I may be the first openly gay man in the New Mexico House of Representatives, but not for long!
My team and I will be meeting this week to discuss this future, and I am asking for you to CONTRIBUTE to this cause. Your donation of $10, $25, $50, $100 will serve as an investment in our Nation's progressive future.
Unfortunately, this vision is under attack by the extreme right wing, including partisan bloggers and Steve Pearce, the chairman of the New Mexico Republican Party and former member of the House Freedom Caucus .
The right-wing blogger who demanded I drop out of the race is continually slandering my name and the non-profit work I've done for over 30 years. This typically wouldn't bother me, but he continually crosses moral and ethical lines.
John Block, the gay Republican editor of the Pinon blog said, “Literally ANYTHING goes now for the Democrats. What a disgrace to the NM House of Representatives. Sick (Block, J. Facebook. 11 Nov. 2020)." I will not allow someone to slander my partner, my CNN HEROES recognized non-profit Moving Arts Española, my staff or others. My partner is not a politician and Moving Arts is not a political organization — both are off limits. By fighting back, we will create the framework to support and lift up others who are attacked for simply being who they are. For too long we have been asked to step aside, or told it was not our turn, or that we could not win. Your past support gave me the courage and strength to stay in the race, and I was elected thanks to you.
Today, your contribution is an investment in our young leaders, our future, and our fight for truth and integrity. Your investment will ensure that whenever some rickety blogger believes he can unfairly attack people, he will think twice.
Simply put
, we have a lot of work to do. Your contribution of $25, $50,$100, $500 will make this vision a reality. Our new website, a progressive hub of information, will track how your resources are being used to improve our collective progressive agenda.
Humbly in service,
Roger Montoya
In deeply Catholic “El Norte” of New Mexico, family trumps everything, including homophobia. Click on the Reporter link to see Roger making tortillas with his Mom Dorothy, who passed away earlier this year. I have known Roger nearly 35 years, ever since his sister married my brother and I sat down to T-Day dinner with his amazing family.