New York City’s Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani recently honored transgender activist Sylvia Rivera in a campaign ad, along with a pledge to fight the Trump Administration’s anti-trans attacks. He paid tribute to Rivera in a two-minute campaign ad in which he claimed he would call on “hundreds of lawyers” to push back on the federal government’s anti-trans bills and executive orders, according to reports from LGBTQ Nation. “She arrived here at the age of 11, where she immediately landed in the center of the gay rights movement. She befriended the legendary Marsha P Johnson, protested at Stonewall, and led marches for equality,” said Mamdani.
Some of Mamdani’s central campaign points include: lowering the cost of living for New Yorkers, freezing stabilized rent, free childcare, and providing better public transportation. Mamdani has spoken up for marginalized voices throughout his campaign and continues to put up a fight against opponents like Andrew Cuomo.
Mamdani highlighted Rivera’s accomplishments in the campaign ad, noting that she founded STAR or Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, which helped feed and house trans youth. Throughout her life, Rivera advocated for trans inclusion throughout New York and pushed for statewide non-discrimination bills.
“Even among the queer community, trans New Yorkers were excluded. Rivera and others were discouraged from walking in Pride, their participation erased from Stonewall history” Mamdani noted.
According to LGBTQ Nation, the ad also featured footage from Rivera’s Gay Pride Rally speech in 1973 in which she condemned transphobic people in the gay and lesbian communities. Capping off the ad, Mamdani said “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.” He pledged to make New York City a sanctuary city for trans folks. “New York will not sit idly by while trans people are attacked,” he continued. “We will deploy hundreds of lawyers to combat Trump’s hate, make New York City an LGBTQIA+ sanctuary city, and create the office of LGBTQIA+ affairs to allocate millions for youth and adult housing programs as well as gender-affirming care.”
Mamdani also pledged that as mayor, he would create an Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs and allocate millions for youth and adult housing programs and gender affirming care by “Building a city where trans New Yorkers are cherished.”
