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# LGBTQ+ ally Zohran Mamdani elected Major of New York City
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/lgbtq-ally-zohran-mamdani-elected-major-of-new-york-city/
- Published: 2025-11-05T10:14:34.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-05T10:14:34.000Z
- Author: Graham Robson
- Tags: Politics, North America

In a landmark win signalling a progressive turn for America’s largest city, **Zohran Mamdani** has been elected Mayor of **New York City**, defeating former Governor **Andrew Cuomo** and **Republican** candidate **Curtis Sliwa**. The *Associated Press* called the race for Mamdani shortly after **9.30pm** on Tuesday (**4 November**), concluding a grassroots campaign that energised young, diverse voters across the five boroughs.

Mamdani, 34, a self-described democratic socialist and long-standing LGBTQ+ ally, ran on a platform combining affordability measures with bold commitments to human rights. His election marks a pivotal moment for LGBTQ+ advocacy in city politics, as he pledged sweeping protections and investment for queer and trans New Yorkers.

Prior to his mayoral bid, Mamdani served in the **New York State Assembly**, where he championed landmark legislation for LGBTQ+ rights. He fought for the repeal of the state’s anti-loitering statute, known as the “Walking While Trans” law, which disproportionately targeted trans women of colour. He also co-sponsored the **Gender Recognition Act**, enabling residents to update gender markers on official documents and introducing a gender-neutral “X” option.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/2025/11/Facebook-Template-2.png)

In 2023, as conservative states escalated attacks on gender-affirming care, Mamdani backed New York’s shield law, which prevents cooperation with out-of-state investigations into such care. He also publicly supported **Proposition 1**, a constitutional amendment to enshrine protections against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, which voters approved in 2024\. 

As mayor-elect, Mamdani has promised to expand gender-affirming care city-wide with a £65 million investment and create an **Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs** to centralise services related to housing, employment, and health. His administration will also strengthen sanctuary protections for queer and trans residents, ensuring New York remains a safe haven amid national rollbacks of LGBTQ+ rights.

In an October campaign advert honouring Stonewall veteran **Sylvia Rivera**, Mamdani declared: *“*We will not sit idly by while trans people are attacked. We’ll deploy hundreds of lawyers to combat hate.” He framed his victory as part of a broader fight against discrimination, saying, “We can’t bring Sylvia back, but we can honour her memory by building a city where trans New Yorkers are cherished.” 

Mamdani’s win also underscores a generational and ideological divide. While Cuomo once championed marriage equality and other LGBTQ+ protections as governor, his recent campaign was marred by criticism from queer advocacy groups over staffing choices and perceived wavering on trans rights.