Mamdani Proves Democrats Can Win Big and Embrace LGBTQ People

Spencer Macnaughton | Uncloseted Media Weekly Newsletter

Last night, Zohran Mamdani made history as the first Muslim and person of South Asian descent to become New York City’s mayor. At 34 years old, he’s also the city’s youngest mayor in over a century.

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.

I believe the Mamdani fever—which many are describing as reminiscent to when Obama ran in 2008—is twofold: Not only did he give a clear platform that would help New Yorkers care for their families and make life more affordable, but he did it while advocating to leave nobody—including the most marginalized in our society—behind.

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• Zohran Mamdani, LGBTQ+ ally, wins New York City mayoral election and makes history (The Advocate)

  • Mamdani, a self-described Democratic socialist and queer ally, will be New York City’s next mayor.

• LGBTQ+ ally Abigail Spanberger trounces anti-trans Republican to win Virginia governor’s race (The Advocate)

  • Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer and three-term Democratic congresswoman, has won Virginia’s governor’s race, handily defeating Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in a decisive victory that returns the state’s executive mansion to Democratic control. She will be the 75th governor of the state and the first woman.

• Rep. Mikie Sherrill wins N.J. governor in Tuesday’s second victory for Democrats (NPR)

  • Meanwhile, the administration is refusing to use emergency funds to avoid a lapse in benefits.

• Gay Republicans defend Greg Abbott removing rainbow crosswalks: They’re “politically divisive” (LGBTQ Nation)

  • The group said safety should be prioritized over symbols, but data shows vibrant crosswalks make the road safer.

• Gay Senate staffer easily completes ICE fitness test that Trump-Noem recruits are failing (The Advocate)

  • “Democrats are fit, Democrats are hot, and we’re tired of Republicans trying to lay claim to [health and fitness] when it’s so demonstrably false,” Josh Sorbe told The Advocate.

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Over the next week, be on the lookout for new Uncloseted reporting:

• 🆕 When the Trump administration slashed SNAP benefits in half, 21-year-old Asherah Barton lost more than just money for food. Living with autism and navigating life as a young trans adult, Barton shares their real life story about how the cuts are affecting them.

• 🆕Fundamentalist religious communities are famously unsafe for queer people, leading many who are raised within them to try to leave—and deconstruct their relationship with God—later in life. For those who’ve never known anything else, that process can take years. Jake Angelo investigates through the lens of one former Mormon missionary in Utah.

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Thanks for reading! Feel free to email me with questions, complaints and story ideas!

Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chief — spencer@unclosetedmedia.com

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