Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Party’s mayoral front-runner, faced significant backlash for retaining his dual citizenship with Uganda shortly after a controversial photo surfaced showing him with a key figure in the nation’s harsh anti-LGBT legislation.
Mamdani was photographed alongside Uganda’s Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga. He defended the moment, insisting that it was a spontaneous capture and that he was unaware of her role in advocating for oppressive laws, including life imprisonment for individuals identified as gay.
This image was taken in July during a personal trip for Mamdani’s wedding at a family estate in Uganda, where he was born, as recently reported by The Post.
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, now an independent candidate, criticized Mamdani during a press conference this week regarding the matter.
“If you claim to oppose human rights abuses worldwide, it’s contradictory to uphold your citizenship in Uganda, a nation where you can be killed for being gay,” Cuomo stated. “Why not renounce your citizenship? You shouldn’t be a citizen of a country that harms LGBTQ individuals.”
Longtime LGBTQ advocate Chris Lynn, a co-founder of the Stonewall Democratic Club, echoed these sentiments, suggesting Mamdani should relinquish his ties to Uganda given its repressive legal framework.
“Under Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality law, failure to report people you suspect may be gay can lead to severe penalties,” Lynn remarked. “Why would anyone rational choose to remain a citizen under such conditions? What kind of hypocrisy is at play here?”
“Why won’t he renounce his Ugandan citizenship?”
Despite an important ruling by Uganda’s constitutional court in 2024, which invalidated the requirement to report suspected homosexuals, the nation continues to enforce some of the harshest anti-LGBTQ laws globally.
Republican Councilman David Carr, who identifies as gay, chose to endorse GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa during the debate.
“It’s clear that Curtis Sliwa is the only candidate with a deep history of supporting the LGBTQ community, dating back to the 1970s, long before our two political parties recognized these issues,” Carr remarked.
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A representative for Mamdani did not respond to inquiries about his dual citizenship but criticized Cuomo for using the issue to divert attention.
“Andrew Cuomo is resorting to press conferences about Zohran’s citizenship because unlike Zohran, he lacks tangible solutions for New Yorkers—no vision, no plans, no answers,” spokesperson Dora Pekec stated.
Pekec further called out Cuomo on his controversial past, alluding to allegations that he coined the phrase “Vote for Cuomo, Not the Homo” during his father Mario Cuomo’s unsuccessful mayoral bid against Ed Koch.
“Zohran Mamdani has a comprehensive plan to safeguard LGBTQ New Yorkers, striving to create a city where every queer individual feels acknowledged and can live with dignity,” she concluded.
Cuomo previously lost to Mamdani in a crowded June Democratic primary but has since re-entered the race as a moderate option against the front-runner in a predominantly Democratic city.
