New York City turned the page to a new year and a new leader on Jan. 1 with the inauguration of Zohran Mamdani, who has vowed to prioritize the needs of the LGBTQ community as the city’s next mayor.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old former state lawmaker, emphasized support for LGBTQ rights during his campaign and ultimately won overwhelming support from the queer community, pulling in 81% of the LGBTQ vote, according to exit polls. Mamdani’s wide-ranging proposals for the LGBTQ community also translated into the emergence of groups like Gays for Zohran, which held a National Coming Out Day rally for him in the weeks leading up to the general election.
