This story was originally published by Uncloseted Media, an LGBTQ focused investigative news outlet.
At 34 years old, he’s also the city’s youngest mayor in over a century. His win is proof that Dems can win big while being an ally of the LGBTQ+ community.
Mamdani ran a next-generation campaign, one that masterfully utilized new media with a well-thought-out TikTok strategy and partnerships with famous influencers.
He galvanized New Yorkers to the polls in record numbers, with over 2 million people turning out in part because he relentlessly campaigned on affordability. He promised free buses, free childcare and a rent freeze for stabilized units.
While Democratic leaders like Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries remain tepid on Mamdani and his strategy, some in the party are starting to sing a different tune. Former president Barack Obama reportedly called Mamdani over the weekend, saying “[his] campaign has been impressive to watch” and offering to be a “sounding board” for the future. Even Jerry Nadler, who opposed Mamdani in the primary, said that “voters in New York City demanded change and, with Zohran’s triumph, we have a direct repudiation of Donald Trump’s politics of tax cuts and authoritarianism.”
What hasn’t made as many headlines is that Mamdani didn’t compromise or stay silent in his support for queer and trans New Yorkers. Egged on by pundits and think tanks who seem convinced that full-throated support for trans rights have been a liability for Democrats, major figures like Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg and Rahm Emanuel have signaled a turnaround on certain trans issues while others are quieter than ever.
But Mamdani did not acquiesce. Rather, he demonstrated his allyship loudly and proudly throughout the campaign.
In February, he showed up at Union Square to protest an executive order threatening to pull funding from hospitals that provide gender-affirming care for trans youth, saying, “You need not even know a trans New Yorker to stand up for trans New Yorkers. … This is a trial of all of us to see who we are willing to give up. And our answer is no one.” On Oct. 11, he published an ad relaying the story of foundational trans activist Sylvia Rivera while promising to declare New York an LGBTQ sanctuary city and create an Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs. And three days before the election, he showed up at multiple queer bars, including Bushwick’s Mood Ring, to rally patrons.
The takeaway for me is that two things can be true: Democrats can have strong platforms that are focused and nuanced when it comes to economic policy. At the same time, they don’t have to ditch identity politics or throw marginalized groups under the bus.
There’s evidence that shows the reason Democrats lost in November was less about their commitment to LGBTQ rights and more about the fact that they didn’t have a clear message on the issues Americans care the most about: Analysts noted that Kamala Harris’ economic policies were often tepid and unconvincing, and she lost in states that passed progressive economic policies like an increased minimum wage and paid sick leave—policies her campaign hadn’t focused on in their messaging.
