NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani Faces Scrutiny Over Meeting with Ugandan Official Linked to Anti-LGBTQ+ Law
NEW YORK, NY – New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism after a photograph surfaced showing him warmly greeting Rebecca Kadaga, a prominent Ugandan politician with a history of supporting legislation criminalizing homosexuality.The meeting,reportedly at a family wedding in Buziga,Uganda,has sparked outrage from some LGBTQ+ activists who point to Kadaga’s role in enacting and defending Uganda’s harsh anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
Kadaga, formerly the Speaker of Parliament in Uganda, was a key figure in the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which initially prescribed life imprisonment for same-sex relations. Though parts of the original act were struck down, a revised version approved in 2024 continues to impose severe penalties, including the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.”
Since the act’s approval two years ago, Human Rights Watch has documented widespread discrimination and violence against LGBTQ+ Ugandans and their supporters. “For the last two years, LGBT Ugandans have suffered a range of abuses because of the government’s willful decision to legislate hate against them,” said Oryem Nyeko, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch, in a May report. The report also details how Ugandan officials have spread misinformation and fueled attacks against LGBTQ+ individuals.
Mamdani, a state Assembly member before launching his mayoral bid, has publicly advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, supporting pro-LGBTQ+ legislation and serving as a spokesperson on the issue in the state legislature. He has stated he was unaware of Kadaga’s history, a claim disputed by Chris Lynn, a co-founder of the Stonewall Democratic Club, who said, “He’s either a liar or incredibly ill-informed. Oh,come on! No one thinks he’s that ill-informed.”
However, other LGBTQ+ leaders have defended Mamdani.Allen Roskoff,head of the Jim Owles liberal LGBT Democratic Club,stated,”I know Zohran. I take Zohran at his word. Zohran has been a friend to the LGBT community.”
The timing of the meeting has also raised questions, with watchdoguganda.com suggesting it could be an effort to strengthen transatlantic ties or garner support ahead of Mamdani’s mayoral bid. The group also noted the potential for Mamdani’s Ugandan roots to influence diaspora engagement.
Mamdani is currently competing against thomas Suarez and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the general election on November 4th,after winning a crowded ranked-choice Democratic primary in June. Former Mayor Eric Adams initially ran as a Democrat before launching an autonomous bid that he later abandoned.
