Zohran Mamdani finds himself at the center of a simmering gay political controversy
Should a gay person represent a gay district?
Mark
Zohran Mamdani is, without question, an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.
In his first 100 days as New York City mayor, the democratic socialist has established the first-ever Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ affairs and appointed Taylor Brown, the first out transgender person to lead a city agency, to head up the department. He also championed efforts to reinstall the rainbow flag at the Stonewall Monument and enjoys widespread support from the city’s vast queer community. To celebrate his blowout victory in November’s election, he embarked on an epic gay bar crawl.
But for some LGBTQ+ advocates, that’s not enough. Mamdani is drawing criticism for his endorsement of a straight woman, Lindsey Boylan, for a City Council seat that’s been represented by a member of the community for more than 30 years.
The district, which encompasses West Village, Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen, was redistricted in the early ’90s to help ensure that a gay person could represent Manhattan’s most iconic gayborhoods. That’s exactly what’s happened. The seat has been held by four straight out gay reps: Tom Duane, Christine Quinn, Corey Johnson and Erik Bottcher. The latter represented the 3rd District from 2022 until earlier this year, when he successfully ran for state senate.
Politics, but make it gay!
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Now Bottcher’s former chief of staff, Carl Wilson, is running to replace his old boss. He’s garnered endorsements from Quinn, a former City Council speaker, and Bottcher. “History matters,” Quinn told Gothamist. “Anyone who thinks we’re in some kind of era where representation and seats at the table don’t matter, they’re just wrong.”
Others agree with Quinn and say that Mamdani, despite his unabashed leftism and support for LGBTQ+ causes, is burying the careers of nascent queer politicians throughout NYC.
“It’s a gay seat,” said veteran civil rights activist Allen Roskoff, who describes Boylan as a friend. “I have fought for it to be a gay seat since the ’80s and ’90s.”
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“Representation matters”
One of Wilson’s primary pitches is that he would keep the string of gay reps for the district intact. This past weekend, he said the race is about the “future of having an LGBTQ representative of this district, the birthplace of Stonewall and the modern gay rights movement, at a time when we are under immense threat from Washington, D.C.”
In recent days, Wilson has leaned into an identity-coded argument. Early voting opened this week for the April 28 special election.
As his closing message, he’s traversed the district’s colorful streets with the out Broadway actor Sydney James Harcourt, drag queens and an array of gay elected officials.
“Representation matters,” said Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who’s gay. “This is an historic district.”
Backstabbing the gays?
Chi Ossé, a city councilor from Brooklyn whom we’ve dubbed the “hottest queer politician in the country,” was one of Mamdani’s strongest backers in his race against Andrew Cuomo. Both charismatic and culturally fluent, they starred in campaign spots together and posed for friendly selfies.
But when Ossé considered launching his own insurgent campaign against House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Mamdani was less supportive. He reportedly discouraged Ossé from running and disinvited him from his victory party.
Mamdani’s apparent reasoning was all politics: he worried that Ossé would disrupt his fragile partnership with Jeffries, one of the party’s biggest powerbrokers. Jeffries didn’t endorse Mamdani until the mayoral election’s final days… when it became obvious that he would win in a landslide.
AOC, arguably the most popular progressive in the country, sided with Mamdani. In December, Ossé announced he was ending his bid.
An anonymous LGBTQ+ consultant recently accused Mamdani of “hurting the political aspirations of gay candidates.”
Interestingly, one of those candidates has spoken out and voiced his disagreement with the accusation.
Mamdani’s support for gay candidates
The consultant listed Brian Romero, a State Assembly candidate, as one of Mamdani’s spurned gay supporters. But Romero doesn’t see it that way. He says Mamdani has previously endorsed him.
A former State Assemblyman himself, Mamdani endorsed the eventual successor for his Queens-based seat, Diana Marano. She is a queer woman.
Like Mamdani, she added she’s “proud” to support Lindsey Boylan for City Council.
Another gay NYC pol, John Scott, says Mamdani was the “FIRST” person to endorse him when he ran for office.
Policy over identity
Boylan is an ex-Cuomo aid and one of the first women to accuse him of sexual misconduct. In return, the political dynastic heir’s vast apparatus tried to smear Boylan and denigrate her character.
It didn’t work. Boylan campaigned hard for Mamdani and has earned the support of various left-wing groups, per Gothamist. She’s viewed as an ideological ally to the mayor, who’s involved in a high stakes budget battle with City Council Speaker Julie Menin.
Menin, who represents the ultra-wealthy Upper East Side, is more conservative than Mamdani. Many of Mamdani’s signature proposals are in jeopardy due to the city’s $5+ billion budget shortfall.
To help address the shortfall, Mamdani has called for raising taxes on the wealthy. Menin disagrees, saying Mamdani’s plan would push wealthy New Yorkers out of the state, echoing the hysterics of Fox News.
Menin has endorsed Carl Wilson in the race.
A trove of progressives say that’s why they’re backing Boylan.
“I have personally seen @LindseyBoylan at just about every queer political event I’ve been to and I’ve personally seen per promote two separate trans rights rallies in Manhattan,” posted one supporter.
Other LGBTQ+ voters say they find the fixation on sexuality to be shallow.
One of the highest-profile out gay politicians in New York, state senator Jabari Brisport, is also endorsing Boylan.
I'm gay and endorsing Lindsey Boylan.
https://t.co/zeY98kvz7h— Jabari Brisport (@JabariBrisport) April 18, 2026
As her closing pitch, Boylan says she’ll be a steadfast ally for Mamdani. “The mayor needs allies in the City Council who will fight tooth and nail to take on the cost-of-living crisis,” she said.
Mamdani won the district in question in a route.
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