Roger Montoya, a Northern New Mexico Democrat running for the state House of Representatives, has publicly addressed his gay adult film past after a conservative news organization attacked him for it.
Montoya confirmed that he appeared in the scenes as a struggling college student nearly forty years ago.
In a statement posted to his campaign’s Facebook page, he wrote:
Thirty-eight years ago, as a 22-year-old struggling college student, I was a modern dancer and performer living in Los Angeles. I worked hard to earn my own way, never relying on anyone else, including my parents. I was auditioning for commercials and doing my best to succeed. Among those choices were two adult films I acted in as an adult, with other adults, in a very different environment and time. I am not proud of that choice, as I was young and naïve, but those experiences helped me to understand the exploitation young people face. Those experiences do not reflect who I am, and they are insignificant in the scope of my life’s work, yet they helped inspire my dedication to my community and the work I do to make sure that youth have opportunities, support and confidence.
He continued by reminding voters of the work he’s done since:
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Over the past three decades, I have brought people together from all walks of life to tackle some of our state’s most pressing issues. I’m proud of helping people in rural New Mexico deal with life-threatening illnesses during the AIDS and COVID pandemics. I am proud of bringing arts to the schools in a new and creative way that included an entire community. I am proud of the non-profits I’ve founded and the work they are doing today to inspire our community, to provide food and shelter to our homeless, to feed and nourish, and address chronic substance abuse. I am proud to have worked alongside so many in this community to bring change for the better, and nothing will change that.
And aimed to focus on the work left to do:
If the Republican Party chooses to focus on something I did nearly four decades ago rather than how hard I will work to bring back our devastated economy, provide healthcare, create new jobs and industries, to improve our public schools, to fix our crumbling infrastructure, and to protect our land, acequias and our way of life, that is their choice. I trust the voters to make a better choice because we have so much at stake this November.
As the Santa Fe New Mexican notes, Montoya has long been a force for good in his community.
Among other accomplishments, Montoya helped start the first HIV education programs in his district’s schools. Montoya himself is HIV-positive, and has been open about the fact that he contracted the virus in 1986.
His opponent, Republican Justin Salazar-Torrez, had this to say about Montoya’s acknowledgment:
“We’re here to offer any support [to the Montoya campaign] that we can, whatever that may be. We live in a society that tends to bully, that tends to nitpick at everybody, and that’s not what we’re about.”
Torrez would do well to deliver that message to his own party, however, which called on Montoya to drop out of the race late Monday.
“This irresponsible and reckless behavior of starring in gay [adult] films, whether it takes place now or years ago, is unbecoming of any candidate or elected official,” party Chairman Steve Pearce said in a statement. “If you’re a public servant, you must be held to the highest standards.”
Montoya’s supporters offered messages of support to the candidate, celebrating his commitment to public service.
“Who people have sex with is none of our business,” one commenter wrote. “Keep representing the community.”
“These are challenging times,” Montoya concluded in his statement, “and I will be a truth-teller first and foremost, especially when it is relevant to the problems we are facing as a nation, a state and a community of Norteños.
Winning was never guaranteed, but I will continue to fight with respect and dignity for the very soul of this beautiful community.”
Cam
The weird thing about the adult film industry is that it seems to be the one legal job a person does that is used against anybody who did it. I can’t think of another legal job that people get attacked for.
winemaker
In the words of ‘joyless’ behar of that waste of an hour of valuable time that can’t be gotten back along with intelligence, the ‘view’: “so what, who cares, move on”. Really what someone did 40 years ago when young and foolish to survive that was legal really is none of anybody’s business and irrelevant, as to what’s going on today. The old adage ‘he without sin cast the first stone’ applies here. How many who criticize something like this have secrets that’d shame hell, probably too damned many to count. BTW: both political parties undoubtedly have hypocrites (some very prominent no doubt) as members with secret past lives. It’s not a monopoly of the Republicans.
LumpyPillows
I agree.
jayceecook
Try being a Repossession Agent.
Max
you’re right, but they bring it up as trying to paint the candidate as immoral somehow, hoping to damage their reputation further or dismay those that preach against sins.
baggins435
“This irresponsible and reckless behavior of starring in gay [adult] films, whether it takes place now or years ago, is unbecoming of any candidate or elected official,” party Chairman Steve Pearce said in a statement. “If you’re a public servant, you must be held to the highest standards.”
Well then, how about you start holding your own party to these “highest standards” you are talking about? Starting at the top with the philanderer in chief. The right wingers aren’t holding Trump to ANY standards, at all.
When are we going to grow up and realize what an adult does with their body is their business? There wouldn’t be a porn industry if there wasn’t a demand for it, and the heaviest demand is usually in GOP dominated states. I remember reading years ago that San Diego pulled in more money from porn companies than L.A. does from Hollywood.
Kangol2
Remember, the philanderer in chief Don the Con, who is also a tax cheat, traitor, multiply bankrupted businessperson, etc., also has been accused of rape, sexual assault, forcible kissing, harassment, etc. by over 20 women. A woman has alleged, more than once, that he raped her when she was 13. So if the GOP wants to get on its high horse, it should step right down because one of the worst examples of sexual immorality and amorality, Don the Con, a man whose behavior makes both Nero and Caligula blush, is the rotting head of its party. And we haven’t even discussed how he’s now presiding over a death cult, amorally watching Americans die because of his incompetence and inaction, and making light of a deadly virus, endangering the lives of everyone he comes near and everyone in the US in general.
Merman86
This is some unnecessary bullshit. Chairman Steve Pearce needs to shut the hell up and take several seats. What gives him the right to tell people what to do or how to act?!!! That was from Roger Montoya’s past while in college. Who even cares?!! It is 2020! This man dropped out of the race because Pearce’s petty ass bullshit. So many hypocrites in the Republican party. Love to throw stones….idiots!
drmiller
Seriously, who cares? Who caressss? Nothing he did was illegal. We ALL watch porn. Anyone throwing stones needs to take a closer look at the glass house they’re living in. There is so much more profit in forgetting about this then lamenting it. He should stand up proud and strong. At least he went to college! He paid his own way! It’s admirable he found a solution. Who cares he had sex on camera? God what a bunch of frivolous crap. All these damn puritanical, holier-than-thou, sanctimonious republicans are the absolute worst. Talking out of both sides of their mouths—cheating, closet case, drug using, paying off porn stars, pro-life but demanding your mistress get an abortion. I’m so sick of it all.
Christophe777
Gee, the Republican Chairman, Steve Pearce, has a short memory. It isn’t okay for a candidate to openly address his adult film participation, but it is okay for the President of the United States to openly state that it is easy to grab women’s pussies if you are a celebrity and then NOT own up to it. Do I detect a double standard concerning the point that “if you’re a public servant, you must adhere to the highest standards.” And the comparison is between a Democrat running for a seat in the state House of Representatives versus a Republican President of the United States.
rallidriver
This is such a non-issue. Fact is Porn is a number one industry and it’s not because no one is watching it. This man did it in his 20’s and has evolved from it as an adult. Being in porn has nothing to do with his ability to lead. I’m a gay republican and find using ones far past as a means to ruin their chance to possibly be an effective leader is atrocious. It’s not like the man killed someone.
Kangol2
I’d have no problem voting for someone who engaged in consensual adult pornography, whether they did it at 20 or 40 or 80. Millions of Americans, particularly in those so-called hyper-moral red states, feast regularly on pornography, including Utah, Louisiana, Mississippi, etc. Also, sex work and pornography have long been last resort (or first resort) options for people trying to pay their bills. The GOP’s hypocrisy knows no bounds, though that’s hardly news.
Matthewnow
I’ll need to watch the videos to make an informed decision. Need to gather the children and make popcorn first.
rikard_pearson
first i would say how awesome this candidate sounds. second i would like to see his films.
D P
Find his videos online under the moniker Joe Savage. a male performer whose performing career commenced in 1976.
“…
Joe Savage has focused on working with Distribpix / Video-X-Pix, Falcon Studios, and Midnight Video. He is extremely well rounded and has performed in videos which are associated with 10 categories. These run the range from precondom classics to classic stories , and also precondom plots.
…”
8millionandcounting
…..party Chairman Steve Pearce said in a statement. “If you’re a public servant, you must be held to the highest standards.”
__________________________________________
And probably said that with a straight face.
You can’t make this shit and utter hypocrisy up. What a nimrod Pearce is.
stephen driscoll
So DONATE! rogermontoyafornm.com
IndependentForever
OK, a CONSERVATIVE news agency is going after this guy for appearing in a gay video when he was a college student needing money forty years ago. For one thing, I remember when George W. Bush was running for president and his hard-partying college days were being used against him. Back then the Conservatives defended him saying it happened three decades earlier so it was irrelevant. So once again we get a taste of Republican hypocrisy.
Also, why are the high and mighty, supposedly morally superior to all CONservatives sitting around watching gay porn? Hmmmmmm.
AZ71
I actually think its great. There is nothing wrong with sex or porn among adults. He had a porn career early on and he’s moved on to other things. Big deal. We have to get over this ridiuclous conservative way of thought. Congrats. I hope you win!
jayceecook
At first I was like good for him while reading this story. Then I got to the part where he unintentionally (?) sides with his republican foe by condemning his own involvement in the adult films. Instead of saying that it was legal, consensual, and a valid form of sexual expression he “admits” it was a bad thing but a bad thing he did when he was young and stupid for money.
I wouldn’t vote for him after that. There are hundreds of things way more deplorable (if that’s how you feel) than appearing in adult films. Just ask our POTUS. He’s got a list of them that would take Santa decades to check twice.
sillyme
Party rep Steve Pearce is a loud mouth jerk and is about as full of hot air as the fool who is trying to get reelected into office again, and only touts the GOP party and the head jerk is never wrong and that 2nd loud mouth fool needs to go and get laid and with luck and another life for him to have his eyes opened. I can’t stand that jerk as is and never will.
ShowMeGuy
Republicans always try to use anything sex related to undermine a Democrat but the joke is on them. Democrats celebrate sex as a healthy part of life. It is the republicans who demonize sex yet are found down at the buy-the-hour motel; out near the airport, with an underage male prostitute and that “good” republican is always a “christian family man” and there is meth up his butt when the police kick down the door.
Porn is not a crime.
red345
I seem to remember the current First Lady of the United States did some racy scenes in her past. But I guess saying republicans are hypocrites is cliche at this point.
Tonyi1234
The Democratic party has chosen to take the moral high road, mostly to its detriment. It’s platform is certainly far superior, as regards human rights, environmental issues, education, etc., but it has not evolved on morality. Senator Al Franklin was thrown to the wolves, even when he was needed most, and they are doing it again, now, to Roger Montoya. We are going through a time of McCarthyism. It was wrong then, and it’s wrong now.
succubus
he wasn’t all that
Joseph1971
It just goes to show you, your past can and will come back to haunt you. It may have been 38 years ago, I understand he was struggling financially, but we live in a time that pornography is everywhere and easily accessible by all. I feel bad for him, but let this be a lesson to the young gay men of today
vinnieboiblue
HIs porn past shows how desperate Republicans are. It is like the saying about Clinton and both Bush’s. The difference between Clinton , Bush Sr. and Jr.? Clinton had sex between the bushes!
Terrycloth
I say the same thing wether I’m watching a horror movie or porn…like that would happen !!
wikidBSTN
GOP party Chairman Steve Pearce said in a statement. “If you’re a public servant, you must be held to the highest standards.” –
LOL – go tell that to pussie-grabber TRUMP and the rest fo the GOP.
Pathetic.