As New York City’s 2025 mayoral election looms, two familiar faces are locked in a race that’s reshaping political conversations and queer loyalties. Andrew Cuomo, the once-dominant former governor turned independent candidate, faces Zohran Mamdani, a progressive state assemblyman and surprise Democratic primary winner. But beyond the campaign slogans and party lines lies a deeper question — who actually stands with the LGBTQ+ community today?
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Cuomo’s Complicated LGBTQ+ Legacy
For decades, Andrew Cuomo has had a complicated — even contradictory — relationship with the queer community. His political story stretches from controversy to redemption to renewed scrutiny.
In his early political years, Cuomo was tied to a 1977 whisper campaign during his father Mario Cuomo’s mayoral run, accused of spreading the slogan “Vote for Cuomo, Not the Homo” against Ed Koch. Though Andrew denied involvement, the phrase left a stain on the Cuomo name. Koch would later forgive the family, even endorsing Andrew in his 2010 gubernatorial bid, but the history still lingers.
Fast forward to 2011, and Cuomo was being celebrated as a hero of marriage equality. As governor, he signed the Marriage Equality Act into law, making New York the sixth and largest state to legalize same-sex marriage. “New York has finally torn down the barrier that has prevented same-sex couples from exercising the freedom to marry,” he said at the time. Cuomo marched in Pride just two days later, basking in cheers from the crowd — and for nearly a decade, he remained a visible ally at Pride events.
He continued to advance LGBTQ+ protections throughout his tenure, including expanding discrimination laws to cover gender identity, banning state travel to anti-LGBTQ states like Indiana and North Carolina, and outlawing conversion therapy for minors. In 2019, he even signed the ban on the “gay and trans panic” defense, closing a loophole that allowed defendants to justify violence against queer victims.
Still, Cuomo’s legacy took a sharp turn in 2021, when multiple sexual harassment allegations surfaced. A former aide accused him of making a vulgar remark involving a trans slur, which his team denied. He was forced to resign later that year — and his relationship with LGBTQ+ advocacy groups began to fracture.
From Pride Parades to Political Silence
By the time Cuomo launched his independent mayoral bid in 2025, many queer organizations had already distanced themselves. His decision to hire Kristofer Graham, an anti-LGBTQ activist who once worked to defeat New York’s pro-equality constitutional amendment, sparked outrage among former allies.
“Cuomo is signaling that trans rights are negotiable to him,” said Tyler Hack, executive director of the Christopher Street Project. “The only takeaway we can make from that is that it’s not an accident.”
He skipped a major LGBTQ candidate forum hosted by groups like The Stonewall Democratic Club and Equality New York, a move that further alienated voters who once saw him as an ally. Later, he accepted the endorsement of Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr., a longtime critic of gay marriage, raising fresh doubts about his commitment to queer equality.
When asked about it, Jim Owles Liberal LGBT Club president Allen Roskoff said bluntly, “The gay community is smart. We’re not going to support Cuomo’s baggage. He’s not progressive by any stretch of the imagination.”
Mamdani’s Rise and Queer Advocacy in New York City
In contrast, Zohran Mamdani has built his career on a foundation of progressive causes — from tenant rights to immigrant protections to LGBTQ+ advocacy. Representing Queens’ 36th district, he entered the State Assembly in 2021 and almost immediately championed queer-inclusive reforms.
🔥🚨BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani was just spotted stealing all the attention during the New York City Pride Parade, Zohran can be seen jumping up and down with joy while holding a transgender flag with a firm grip. pic.twitter.com/2ZuLC1uyBG
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) June 29, 2025
He supported the repeal of the “Walking While Trans” law, which had long been used to harass trans women of color, and co-sponsored the Gender Recognition Act, making it easier for New Yorkers to change gender markers on IDs or use gender-neutral “X” options. Cuomo signed that very bill into law — one of his last acts before resigning.
In 2023, Mamdani voted for New York’s gender-affirming care shield law, which protects patients and providers from out-of-state legal threats. In 2024, he wrote an op-ed supporting Proposal 1, a constitutional amendment that bans discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. It passed soon after.
By 2025, Mamdani was not just voting for LGBTQ+ protections — he was making them a central campaign theme. In May, he announced a $65 million plan to expand gender-affirming care and proposed the creation of an Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs to coordinate housing, employment, and healthcare programs. “We can’t just call ourselves a sanctuary city,” Mamdani said. “We have to act like one.”
At rallies, he’s been an outspoken defender of 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 — and our answer is no one gets left behind.”
The Political Firestorm
“No longer should we think about our political process as settling for the lesser of two evils. We can demand a greater good.
And in doing so, we can make City Hall a place from which New Yorkers expect change, not failure.” pic.twitter.com/R9jwSmlweu
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) October 27, 2025
But even Mamdani’s record hasn’t escaped controversy. Cuomo’s campaign accused him of hypocrisy after a photo surfaced showing Mamdani with Rebecca Kadaga, an anti-LGBTQ Ugandan official. Mamdani’s team clarified that he did not know who she was at the time. Cuomo, however, doubled down, saying,
“Why would you keep citizenship in Uganda, a country that outlaws the LGBTQ community?”
Despite the smear attempts, LGBTQ+ groups have largely rallied behind Mamdani. He’s received endorsements from organizations like The Stonewall Democrats and Lambda Independent Democrats, as well as queer celebrities including Cynthia Nixon.
Pride and Politics
Cuomo posted a ‘Happy Pride Month’ video this June, reminding voters of his record on marriage equality. But as Mamdani marched through Manhattan’s Pride parade that same day, waving a trans flag alongside his supporters, it was clear where the crowd’s energy was.
As Newsweek reports, Mamdani now leads Cuomo by double digits heading into Election Day. And for many New Yorkers — especially LGBTQ+ ones — this race isn’t just about politics. It’s about trust, progress, and who truly stands up when it counts.
REFERENCE: NEWSWEEK, UNCLOSETED MEDIA