Pride Issue 2024 - The Final Word - Remembering Mauro

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We always feel that there will be those individuals who seem to live forever. Mauro Walden-Montoya was one of them. We were blessed to have the opportunity to interview him and to have him write for the publication. The community was at a loss to learn of his passing on December 16, 2023, at 65 after battling cancer. Mauro’s journey began in Albuquerque, where he grew up and later graduated from Highland High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University and his law degree from George Washington University School of Law in D.C. In 1986, he joined Whitman-Walker Health as the director of legal services, where he tirelessly fought for the rights of people with HIV facing discrimination.

Throughout his career, he impacted the LGBTQ community, serving as the president of D.C.’s Gertrude Stein Democratic Club and delivering the keynote address at the federal government’s World AIDS Day events in 1994. He later returned to Albuquerque, where he continued his advocacy work and became involved in various business ventures, including real estate management and classic vehicle restoration.

Despite facing challenges, Mauro remained committed to his community, becoming a minister and performing marriages for same-sex couples across multiple states. In his retirement, he dedicated his time to volunteering and serving on various boards, leaving a lasting legacy of compassion and dedication to the causes he believed in.

The one person who knew him well was his husband of 15 years, Andy. We were happy to take a moment to share his thoughts about the man he loved.

​"His name preceded him. Friends said he would like me. They said we had a lot in common. Both were true. The night of his party, Mama Karen and I were hoping for a blowout. We were looking forward to a large and wild scene that would rip the seams of a jockstrap. What we found were eight men sitting around a table drinking, talking, and fully clothed. It was not a fabulous extravaganza. The party did not impress me, but I knew I had met a friend. He was a handsome, charming, and clear-spoken gentleman. We never dated, but we did everything else couples do. After being together for six years, we got married.  I felt protected and provided for.  I knew a man who knew the difference between what he could control and what he could not. He would speak his truth. He would dream big. He would navigate through pain and hardship, knowing his life was worth the struggle. We sacrificed for each other. I will miss him every day and find peace knowing he lived fully.”
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Whether you knew him through law, leather, or theater, Mauro will be remembered. Thank you, Mauro, for being a source of light and love for the community.