Crowd goes wild as Zohran Mamdani takes the stage at late-night queer Halloween party
As the closely watched New York City mayoral election approaches, frontrunner Zohran Mamdani embarked on a Saturday night campaign club crawl that included two queer events.The New York State Assembly member and self-described Democratic Socialist took the stage at Brooklyn nightclub Elsewhere on Saturday night for a surprise appearance at queer art collective Papi Juices Halloween event. Related Zohran Mamdani honors trans activist Sylvia Rivera, says NYC will be a pro-trans sanctuary city I just want to say such a deep thank you to Papi Juice for creating a space for queer and trans New Yorkers, Mamdani said as the crowd cheered. In a city where so much is about struggle, its so important to have a space for joy.In a video from the event posted to Papi Juices Instagram stories, Mamdani reminded the crowd to head to the polls on Tuesday and closed his remarks by noting that it was an honor to be the first mayoral candidate to ever be at Papi Juice! Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The concept of Zohran Mamdani being a special guest at the Papi Juice Halloween party pic.twitter.com/r49C2wSWgM pb&jeremy (@Pisces_Prince_) November 2, 2025Zohran Mamdani was at Papi Juice last night.If this man doesnt win on Tuesday pic.twitter.com/7VS8qc1CwR Shea Jordan Smith (@shea_jordan) November 2, 2025In a Sunday X post, Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec noted that the Assemblyman made stops at six Brooklyn clubs and bars on Saturday night. According to Rouge DNC, those stops included Gabriela, Caribbean Social Club, Damballa, and queer club Mood Ring in addition to Papi Juice.As influencer Matt Bernstein noted in an X post featuring a clip from Mamdanis appearance at Mood Ring, the club crawl stretched into the early hours of Sunday morning.So, its 1am and Zohran just showed up at a gay bar, Bernstein wrote.Are we ready to beat Andrew Cuomo? Are we ready to win a city we can afford? Are we ready to make history? Mamdani asked the crowd from Mood Rings DJ booth in Bernsteins clip. so its 1am and zohran just showed up at the gay bar pic.twitter.com/tc8hZRPdKG matt (@mattxiv) November 2, 2025As Mamdani alluded, should he win Tuesdays election, he would become New York Citys first Muslim mayor. Polls have consistently shown him with a sizable lead over Cuomo, who opted to stay in the races as an Independent after being trounced by Mamdani in this summers Democratic primary. As Fox 5 New York notes, recent polls show him with a double-digit lead over Cuomo, with Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa trailing far behind both.Mamdani also stopped by the East Villages Parkside Lounge on October 25 for one of lesbian party Meow Mixs 30th anniversary celebrations alongside Cynthia Nixon and cabaret performer Justin Vivian Bond. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Justin Vivian Bond (@mxviv)While Mamdanis campaign has focused primarily on making New York City more affordable, he has also pledged to spend $57 million on medical centers that provide gender-affirming care and $8 million more to develop new and broader resources. He has vowed to expand and protect gender-affirming care and create an Office of LGBTQIA+ affairs. In March, he attended a Trans Day of Visibility rally, and in May, he held a trans community town hall. In a recent ad, he honored transgender activist Sylvia Rivera and promised to deploy hundreds of lawyers to fight the presidents anti-trans attacks and make New York City a sanctuary city for trans people.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.