Zohran Mamdani ehrt die Transaktivistin Sylvia Rivera und sagt, NYC werde eine Pro-Trans-„Zufluchtsstadt“ sein. Der Bürgermeisterkandidat von New York City erteilte seinen Anhängern eine wichtige Geschichtsstunde und versprach gleichzeitig, die transphoben Angriffe des Präsidenten zu bekämpfen.
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/10/zohran-mamdani-honors-trans-activist-sylvia-rivera-says-nyc-will-be-a-pro-trans-sanctuary-city/
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>New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani honored trailblazing Hispanic transgender activist Sylvia Rivera in a new campaign ad in which he pledged to “deploy hundreds of lawyers” to fight Donald Trump’s anti-trans attacks and make New York City a sanctuary city for trans people.
>“It was here on the physical margins of our city that they found a home,” Mamdani said of Rivera in the ad. “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. But 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 that the “cruelty” Rivera faced caused her to develop a substance abuse problem and face homelessness, stating, “When she had nowhere left to turn, she would sleep here [upon the Christopher Street Piers], waves lapping nearby.”
>Indeed, Rivera’s one-room dwelling on the pier had a floor mattress, a dresser, and a small side table with a candle burning “for the saints,” *LGBTQ Nation* [reported last year](https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/06/frank-kameny-sylvia-rivera-are-heroes-but-their-deaths-reveal-a-sad-truth-about-queer-elders/). With no heat, electricity, or running water, her dwelling’s walls were made of tarps and linens roped onto concrete slabs, pallets, bookshelves, and discarded doors. Outside was an open-air living room with covered couches and a weather-worn wicker coffee table. In nearby cabinets, Rivera stored jugs filled with fire hydrant water for “whore baths.”
>“Yet no matter what hardships she faced, Sylvia Rivera advocated for others,” Mamdani said.
🏳️⚧️
Mamdani is a profile in courage, indeed! This brought joy to my eyes to read. So thankful to see people like Mamdani & AOC rise up to fight for equality.
>He noted that Rivera co-founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), an organization that helped feed and house trans youth. Rivera continued advocating for these same communities and pushing for trans inclusion in city and statewide non-discrimination bills up to her final days. Mamdani’s ad also included footage from [Rivera’s iconic 1973 Gay Pride Rally speech](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb-JIOWUw1o) in which she scolded transphobic gays and lesbians while passionately speaking out for trans-allyship.
>Near the end of his two-minute video honoring Rivera’s activism, 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.”
>“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.”
For those unaware, watch the FX Docuseries Pride. They go through the decades from the 50s to the 2000s, and they discuss the legacy of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. They touch on how even during the Lavender Scare trying to exterminate them, trans people have always been fighting for the equality of gay, lesbian, asexual, queer, and everyone. We can’t abandon our trans friends ever. They are our beloved friends who have been fighters for us all to be our true selves.
I love that he’s not just making promises, but also educating his followers. Knowledge is power
Here’s the campaign commercial: https://youtu.be/bEvVSpN0BXg?si=R3Ui5_z2BlwWmt_V
Highlighting Rivera specifically shows he really knows his stuff. People usually lazily repeat the myth of Marsha Johnson „throwing the first brick“ which she herself routinely denied and honestly…it’s a generational thing but within queer circles Johnson still has a bit of a tarnished legacy for spending her later years spreading a lot of misinformation about hormone therapy. What they specifically did and especially Rivera’s contributions often go understated.
Good for him.
*8 dishevelled interns are working overtime as we speak, trying to spin this as a radical-left communist jihad against American values.*
The infinite wisdom of right-wing media never fails to amaze me. These buffoons wouldn’t know integrity if it hit them in the head.
Doesn’t sound like sharia law to me. The Republican narrative about him is falling apart before our eyes!
If I was trans I would be actively working to get out of this shitty country
(( https://www.storme-delarverie.com/ ))
The sanctuary city proposal is very important. I know trans people that have literally fled to NYC because they feel it’s one of the few places that will protect them.
That’s a cool idea!
Would he support this in Uganda?
Mamdani is a fucking national treasure.
Remember: Rivera died homeless and unemployed from transphobic social, professional, and legislative attitudes. She died in 2002. Think of how many people you personally know who were alive during that time. This isn’t old history, this is current. We have made some progress, but a lot of it is being erased. Learn and spread our stories. We have a lot to tell. If you don’t know who Rivera was, start at the documentary, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson. She’s featured, along with other trans activists, to tell their stories and tell a larger story about the early movement. Make sure you have tissues and whatever else you like to have when digesting really heartbreaking information. Spoiler: it’s not a happy ending
This is how it’s done, and I won’t vote for anyone who doesn’t act like this I won’t vote for anyone who isn’t forward and enthusiastic about „abolish ICE“ either
Dems need to shape the fuck up
I hope this guy wins. I hope he’s super successful. I hope he has good security
This dude is going to get NYC obliterated if he wins. I mean, entire state governors are tied up fighting Trump and he’s got 1/10th of the hate for them that he’s going to have for this kid.
Oh I didn’t know NYC wasn’t pro trans already.
NYC is already extremely hostile to commerce, the job market has stagnated. His ideas will cost people their livelihoods, thinking otherwise is copium and demonstrably false.
The idea of replacing officers with social workers and decriminalizing prostitution is going to result in a less safe city and push more families to leave. It already smells like weed everywhere which is bad enough.
Very dumb that we allow people that were not born Americans run for public office.
All the stupid centrists were telling me a couple months ago that the reason he’s so popular and gaining so much support is because he wasn’t talking about trans people („doing purity politics“) but was only focusing on economic issues. No, he’s popular and gaining so much support because he has a strong sense of morality, a backbone, and is actually willing to stand firm for what he believes in, unlike all the centrist, air dancer Democrats who believe in nothing and will say whatever they think will get them power.
NYC will definitely end up with a Republican mayor.
Mf making me consider New York
The NYC Mayoral election really is critical. Not cause it will change my life or anyone in any other city or state but maybe, just maybe when the DNC sees how much these policies and stances can win on a huge stage, maybe they will fucking stop losing by moving to the right and try to win again based on what the people want.
I know it’s a long shot. But it’s a glimmer of hope in a sea of despair right now.
Mamdani dropping that Rivera history bomb mid-campaign? Straight fire—mine’s from a family that skipped Stonewall stories till my cousin came out, now we’re all quoting her „y’all better quiet down“ at holidays. NYC sanctuary vibes hit home hard.
That ad’s got me rooting for the underdog mayor run—flashed back to my volunteer days at a queer center, handing out Rivera zines to wide-eyed kids, same fight energy Mamdani’s channeling against the fed nonsense. 🏳️⚧️
Binged Pride last Pride Month and it wrecked me in the best way—my first queer history dive was a dusty library book on Stonewall, but seeing Sylvia’s raw grit on screen? Made me text my trans sis „we got you, always,“ no cap. Solidarity’s the real legacy.