On National Coming Out Day, Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani used the moment to spotlight LGBTQ rights and to address criticism over his ties to a Ugandan official behind anti-gay laws. In a new campaign video, Mamdani declared, “New York will not sit idly by while trans people are attacked.” Speaking at a spirited “Gays for Zohran” rally in Greenwich Village, he urged, “We have to stand up for queer New Yorkers every single day.”
But the day also brought renewed questions about a July photo showing Mamdani alongside Ugandan politician Rebecca Kadaga, who has championed draconian anti-LGBTQ legislation. Mamdani told reporters, “Had I known that she was the architect of this horrific legislation and attack on queer Ugandans, I would not have taken it.” Former Governor Andrew Cuomo dismissed that explanation, saying, “The LGBTQ community should not excuse that lie… You cannot be a chameleon where you’re in the United States, you’re pro-LGBT rights, but when you’re in Uganda, you stand and smile with the woman who proposed killing gay people.”
Still, Mamdani vowed to make New York an “LGBTQ sanctuary city,” create an Office for LGBTQ Affairs, and condemned Uganda’s record, saying, “It’s a horrific record… a complete betrayal of universal human rights.” This week, President Trump had a vague threat aimed at New York City saying if a socialist is elected it could affect tens of billions of dollars of Federal money.
