Unbiased mayoral hopeful Andrew Cuomo stated Monday it’s “hypocrisy” for his opponent, Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani, to take care of twin U.S.-Ugandan citizenship, citing the African nation’s anti-LGBTQ legal guidelines.
“Why would you keep a citizenship in Uganda, which is a country that outlaws the LGBTQ community — why? Why be a citizen of that country?” Cuomo advised reporters in Manhattan.
“I believe in the LGBTQ community, and it would be a total act of hypocrisy to be a citizen of a country that abuses LGBTQ people,” he continued. “It’s pure hypocrisy.”
Cuomo introduced up the difficulty of Mamdani’s twin citizenship at a press convention held to focus on a New York Publish report about how Mamdani, throughout a latest journey to his native Uganda, took a photograph with Rebecca Kadaga, an area politician who in 2012 pushed to undertake a invoice that made homosexuality punishable by life imprisonment.
In response to that report, Mamdani has stated he didn’t know who Kadaga was when he took the picture and referred to as her legislative push a “horrific attack on queer Ugandans.”
Mamdani was born in Uganda, however moved to the U.S. as a baby and have become an American citizen in 2018.
A spokeswoman for Mamdani, who’s polling as the favourite to win November’s mayoral election, argued Cuomo’s deal with the Democratic nominee’s citizenship is an indication of desperation.
“Andrew Cuomo’s recent behavior is increasingly Trumpian — issuing desperate personal attacks to distract from his lack of any vision or plans to address the affordability crisis,” stated the spokeswoman, Dora Pekec. “Does Cuomo want every dual citizen in a city of 3 million immigrants to give up their citizenship?”
Cuomo has himself maintained associations with some controversial anti-LGBTQ politicians, together with Bronx Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr., who opposes homosexual marriage and as soon as claimed the Metropolis Council is managed by “the homosexual community.”
Pressed on his closeness to Diaz in gentle of his Mamdani broadside, Cuomo argued it’s inappropriate to reference Diaz in that context.
“[Diaz] does not support the LGBTQ community,” acknowledged Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid sexual {and professional} misconduct accusations he now denies. However, Cuomo stated, “he never said that we should outlaw them or kill them.”
Initially Revealed: October 6, 2025 at 7:47 PM EDT
