In a rousing victory speech Tuesday night, New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani promised to continue defending the rights of transgender people and other marginalized communities targeted by the Trump administration.
“In this moment of political darkness, New York will be the light,” Mamdani said. “Here, we believe in standing up for those we love, whether you are an immigrant, a member of the trans community, one of the many Black women that Donald Trump has fired from a federal job, a single mom still waiting for the cost of groceries to go down, or anyone else with their back against the wall. Your struggle is ours, too.”
Related: Zohran Mamdani, LGBTQ+ ally, wins New York City mayoral election and makes history
The 34-year-old Democratic nominee, a self-described Democratic socialist and LGBTQ+ ally, beat former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa in a historic victory after running a grassroots campaign mobilized by young voters. Mamdani won 50.4 percent of the vote, significantly ahead of Cuomo’s 41.6 percent.
Mamdani dominated the LGBTQ+ vote, with 82 percent of the community casting their votes for him compared to just 15 percent for Cuomo, according to exit polls from NBC. He also won over the vast majority of voters ages 18 to 29 (78 percent) and 30 to 44 (66 percent).
Mamdani’s campaign promises for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers included the expansion and protection of gender-affirming care across the city, including a $65 million investment; the commitment to “strengthen and uphold the rights of queer and trans New Yorkers” through sanctuary protections; and the creation of an Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs with the intent to “expand and centralize the services, programs, and support LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers’ needs across housing, employment, and more.”
As a state representative for New York’s 36th district, Mamdani backed the repeal of the “Walking While Trans” law that was disproportionately used to arrest trans women. He cosponsored the Gender Recognition Act, which made it easier for trans and nonbinary people to legally change their gender, and allowed the gender neutral “X” option. He also voted in favor of the state’s shield law, which prevents patients and providers of gender-affirming care in the state from being prosecuted by other states.
Related: Here is New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s LGBTQ+ rights record
“So hear me, President Trump, when I say this: To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us,” Mamdani continued in his speech. “When we enter City Hall in 58 days, expectations will be high. We will meet them.”
“I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this,” he said. “And yet, if tonight teaches us anything, it is that convention has held us back. We have bowed at the altar of caution, and we have paid a mighty price. Too many working people cannot recognize themselves in our party, and too many among us have turned to the right for answers to why they’ve been left behind. We will leave mediocrity in our past. No longer will we have to open a history book for proof that Democrats can dare to be great.”
This article originally appeared on Advocate: Zohran Mamdani will continue ‘standing up’ for transgender people as New York City mayor
