This story was originally published in Uncloseted Media, an LGBTQ-focused investigative news outlet.

This year’s mayoral race in New York City is shaping up to be the most-watched and most consequential local election in the country. Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblyman and Democratic Socialist who cleanly won the Democratic primary earlier this year and maintains a double-digit lead in the polls, is facing off against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the primary.

Analysts argue that this race could have significant implications for the future of the Democratic Party. If Mamdani wins, it will represent New Yorkers’ desire for a politician who leans further left than the party’s traditional values.

These implications extend to LGBTQ rights as well, as discourse surrounding trans people has permeated discussions of the party’s future since last year’s presidential loss.

With that in mind, here are both candidates’ track records on LGBTQ issues.

Andrew Cuomo’s early years

1977

Andrew Cuomo allegedly runs a whisper campaign during his father Mario’s run for New York City mayor against Ed Koch. He uses the slogan “Vote for Cuomo, Not the Homo,” referencing Koch’s sexuality. Koch never publicly came out as gay and denied it until his death, but it was known in his personal circle that he was.

Koch would go on to forgive the Cuomos and endorse Andrew for Governor in 2010.

“The signs said, VOTE FOR CUOMO, NOT THE HOMO. Andrew says he didn’t do it, and I believe him.”

June 24, 2011

Cuomo signs the Marriage Equality Act into law, legalizing same-sex marriage and making New York the sixth state—and the largest, at the time—to pass marriage equality. The passage of the law is considered a win for gay rights. In a press statement, Cuomo says:

“New York has finally torn down the barrier that has prevented same-sex couples from exercising the freedom to marry and from receiving the fundamental protections that so many couples and families take for granted. … With the world watching, the Legislature, by a bipartisan vote, has said that all New Yorkers are equal under the law.”

June 26, 2011

Two days after signing the Marriage Equality Act, Cuomo marches in NYC Pride and is met with adoration and fanfare. He would continue to be a figure at NYC Pride for the next eight years, but since 2019 has no public record of attending.

Dec. 11, 2014

Cuomo announces regulatory guidelines to help trans people receive equal access to health insurance coverage. The new rules no longer allow insurance companies to deny medically necessary treatment for gender dysphoria. The move comes before similar federal protections are introduced in 2015 under the Affordable Care Act, positioning New York ahead of national policy on trans health care.

March 31, 2015

Cuomo bans non-essential state-funded travel to Indiana after the state passes the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The act enables anti-LGBTQ discrimination by saying that being forced to serve queer customers is a burden on their religious beliefs. Cuomo would lift the ban April 4, saying he believes changes made to the law will keep it from being used to discriminate against gay people. The next year, Cuomo would impose a similar travel ban for North Carolina because of their trans bathroom ban.

Oct. 22, 2015

Cuomo issues an executive order that expands discrimination protection regulations to include gender identity, transgender status and gender dysphoria. The move is praised by the American Civil Liberties Union:

“With this executive action, Gov. Cuomo has made it clear that his administration is committed to protecting transgender and gender nonconforming people in New York State. … These clear legal protections go a long way toward allowing transgender New Yorkers to enjoy dignity, respect and access to opportunity in New York.”

Jan. 25, 2019

Cuomo signs two pro-LGBTQ bills into law. The first bans conversion therapy for minors by licensed practitioners and bans insurers from covering the discredited practice. The second, known as the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), amends the state’s Human Rights Law to ban anti-trans discrimination.

“The Supreme Court says you can discriminate against transgender in the military,” Cuomo says in a statement. “We say today—no you can’t. You cannot discriminate against people by gender identity, period.”

June 30, 2019

Cuomo signs a law banning the “gay and trans panic” legal defense in New York. The law eliminates a long-established loophole in hate crime trials that allowed lawyers to argue that a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity could cause a suspect to fly into a sudden violent frenzy such that they hurt or kill the victim. New York is the eighth state to ban the defense.

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Enter: Zohran Mamdani

Feb. 2, 2021

In his first session as a House Representative for New York’s 36th district, Zohran Mamdani backs the repeal of the “Walking While Trans” law, which was disproportionately used to target trans women of color under the guise of curbing sex work. In the 1970s, “wearing a skirt,” “waving at a car” and “standing somewhere other than a bus stop or taxi stand” were viewed under the law as probable cause for arrest.

That same day, Cuomo signs the repeal of portions of the law and says:

“For too long trans people have been unfairly targeted and disproportionately policed for innocent, lawful conduct based solely on their appearance. Repealing the archaic ‘walking while trans’ ban is a critical step toward reforming our policing system and reducing the harassment and criminalization transgender people face simply for being themselves. New York has always led the nation on LGBTQ rights, and we will continue that fight until we achieve true equality.”

Feb. 15, 2021

The Child-Parent Security Act, which Cuomo signed into law in 2020, goes into effect. The law legalizes compensation for gestational surrogacy, opening new paths to parenthood for both LGBTQ and heterosexual couples alike.

Feb. 17, 2021

Mamdani co-sponsors the Gender Recognition Act, which would make it easier for trans and nonbinary folks to change their gender on official government documents. It would also give them the option to choose a gender-neutral marker of “X” instead of the male/female binary and options for gender-neutral parent language on birth certificates.

Feb. 24, 2021

Cuomo is announced as the recipient of the LGBT Bar of New York’s “Community Vision Award” for his “distinguished record of service to the LGBTQ community, including a sustained commitment to achieving equal rights for all members of our community.” Just hours later, a former staffer publishes a story detailing Cuomo’s history of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.

In reaction, Cuomo is stripped of his award and barred from attending the gala.

April 13, 2021

In an investigation following allegations of sexual assault and workplace mistreatment by Cuomo, The New York Times reports that the governor allegedly told a male official in 2019: “You’d be a good-looking tr*nny if you get a good set of tits.”

In response to the allegation, a member of Cuomo’s team says, “He would never make a comment so vile.”

In an investigation following allegations of sexual assault and workplace mistreatment by Cuomo, The New York Times reports that the governor allegedly told a male official in 2019: “You’d be a good-looking tr*nny if you get a good set of tits.”

In response to the allegation, a member of Cuomo’s team says, “He would never make a comment so vile.”

June 24, 2021

Cuomo signs the Gender Recognition Act—co-sponsored by Mamdani—into law. This is one of Cuomo’s last legislative moves before his resignation Aug. 24, 2021.

June 10, 2023

Mamdani votes for New York’s gender-affirming care “shield law” that protects providers, patients and medical records from hostile out-of-state actions. The bill is then signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul. Mamdani’s vote underscores his opposition to red-state crackdowns on trans health care.

Oct. 23, 2024

Mamdani writes an op-ed for the Queens Daily Eagle in support of Proposal 1, a state constitutional amendment which bans discrimination “based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability and sex—including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.” The amendment also introduces legal protections for housing discrimination against LGBTQ people. The following month, Prop 1 passes into law.

Feb. 8, 2025

Mamdani attends a rally for trans youth in New York City’s Union Square and says he is there “to stand up for these children” as attempts to ban gender-affirming care spread across the country.

“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.”

March 11, 2025

Gothamist reports that Cuomo hires anti-LGBTQ activist Kristofer Graham to be his campaign treasurer. Graham worked for the Coalition to Protect Kids, a group aimed at defeating Prop 1. Before that, he worked for the Save Our State PAC on Republican Lee Zeldin’s 2022 gubernatorial campaign, which also peddled homophobia and transphobia.

The decision provokes backlash among former Cuomo allies. Tyler Hack, a trans rights activist and the executive director of the Christopher Street Project, says:

“Cuomo is signaling that trans rights are negotiable to him. … The only takeaway we can make from that is that it’s not an accident.”

March 27, 2025

Cuomo does not participate in a mayoral candidate forum hosted by four LGBTQ groups, including The Stonewall Democratic Club of NYC, NYC Pride and Power, Equality New York and Lambda Independent Democrats. His absence further alienates him from New York’s LGBTQ community.

April 29, 2025

Cuomo is snubbed by LGBTQ advocacy groups, including the Jim Owles Liberal LGBT Club, Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn and the Stonewall Democratic Club of NYC, as they use the city’s rank choice format to list Brad Lander, Mamdani, Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos. Several groups give Mamdani endorsements. All of them leave Cuomo off the list entirely. The head of Jim Owles credits Cuomo for his past but says he is “unsuitable to be mayor.”

“The gay community is smart. We’re not going to support Cuomo’s baggage. He’s not progressive by any stretch of the imagination.”

May 22, 2025

Mamdani announces a protection plan for LGBTQ New Yorkers that includes a $65 million investment for gender-affirming care. The plan also proposes the creation of an Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs to “expand and centralize the services, programs, and support LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers need across housing, employment and more.” Mamdani says NYC will become a sanctuary city in an effort to “strengthen and uphold the rights of queer and trans New Yorkers.”

June 1, 2025

Cuomo posts a video celebrating Pride and his past achievements for LGBTQ people. Along with the video is the caption:

“Happy Pride Month! I am forever proud of the work my Administration did in the fight for LGBTQ equality. I will always stand with our LGBTQ community and fight for equality and fairness for every New Yorker.”

Despite this, Cuomo does not attend NYC Pride while Mamdani does.

June 23, 2025

Queer and Jewish influencer Matt Bernstein—known online as mattxiv—endorses Mamdani. This is one of many endorsements Mamdani has received among Gen Z voters and influencers. In one Instagram post, Bernstein writes:

“We need democratic leaders who will tax billionaires, not sell their souls to them. We need democratic leaders who will stand up for the rights of immigrants and LGBTQ people, not throw us under the bus. We need Zohran.”

Other LGBTQ celebrity endorsements include Bowen Yang, Cole Escola, Hari Nef, Ben Platt, John Early and Cynthia Nixon.

Oct. 5, 2025

Cuomo’s campaign spotlights Mamdani’s Ugandan dual citizenship and a photo he took with anti-LGBTQ Ugandan official Rebecca Kadaga amid the country’s spate of homophobic and transphobic laws. Mamdani’s team maintains that he had no knowledge of who Kadaga was at that moment. Cuomo’s campaign insists Mamdani knew and that he should renounce his Ugandan citizenship.

“Why would you keep a citizenship in Uganda, which is a country that outlaws the LGBTQ community?” Cuomo says in a news conference. “You are a citizen of Uganda, running for mayor. Why wouldn’t you say I am going to give up my citizenship because I will not be the citizen of a country that would kill gay people?”

A spokesperson for Mamdani says that had he known who she was, he would not have posed for the photo.

Oct. 9, 2025

Cuomo accepts an endorsement from Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr., a former city council member who does not support gay marriage and has a history of making homophobic remarks. Notably, Diaz stood by Cuomo in the aftermath of his resignation and the allegations made against him.

Oct. 11, 2025

Mamdani releases an ad telling the story of foundational trans activist Sylvia Rivera, where he promises further support for NYC’s trans community if elected. The ad situates his campaign within New York’s broader queer legacy and against Trump, drawing a symbolic throughline from Rivera’s community activism to Mamdani’s agenda of municipal reform and resistance to the current administration. Talking directly to camera, Mamdani says:

“Since taking office, Donald Trump has waged a scorched earth campaign against trans people. The man with the most power has expended enormous energy targeting those with the least. New York will not sit idly by while trans people are attacked. We’ll deploy hundreds of lawyers to combat Trump’s hate. … We can’t bring Sylvia back, but we can honor her memory by building a city where trans New Yorkers are cherished. In a time of darkness, New York must be the light.”

Oct. 18, 2025

Cuomo attempts to tie Mamdani to Siraj Wahhaj, an imam with a history of making homophobic remarks. Cuomo says it was inappropriate for Mamdani to meet with Wahhaj and accept his endorsement.

“For Zohran to think that he should be mayor of New York, the capital of acceptance and tolerance and diversity, the city and the state where the gay rights movement was birthed, the place that made history in passing same-sex marriage, the disconnect is so disturbing.”

A spokeswoman for Mamdani responds by saying that Cuomo is more interested in “talking about what people Zohran has taken photos with than explaining what he actually plans to do as mayor for the LGBTQ community.”

Oct. 22, 2025

At the final mayoral debate, Cuomo attacks Mamdani as being divisive for taking a picture with “Rebecca gay killer Kadaga” and asks why he won’t renounce his citizenship to Uganda and call for boycotts, divestments and sanctions against the country known for its anti-LGBTQ policies. In response, Mamdani says his politics are “built on a belief in human rights” and “that extends to queer and trans New Yorkers and it extends to queer and trans Ugandans.”

Additional reporting by Hope Pisoni.