Photos of Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani with one of the lead advocates of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA), the bill that legalized the death penalty as a punishment for homosexuality, are making headlines.

The photos show Mamdani smiling beside First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga, who vowed in 2012 to pass the AHA through parliament, back when she was speaker of parliament. Another picture shows the two with Mamdani’s father.

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I want to support Zohran Mamdani. But he needs to stop supporting Uganda.

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“Ugandans want that law as a Christmas gift. They have asked for it and we’ll give them that gift,” she said at the time, adding that Ugandans are “demanding” the bill to further punish homosexuality, which was already illegal under Ugandan law.

The bill passed in 2013 without the death penalty for homosexuality but with life in prison, and another bill was passed in 2014. That bill was overturned by a court on technical grounds, and it wasn’t until 2023 that a new AHA was passed with the death penalty for certain cases of “aggravated homosexuality.” The 2023 law also prohibited people from identifying as LGBTQ+.

By 2023, Kadaga was no longer the speaker of Parliament.

Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, and frequently returns to the East African nation. He visited this summer for a family trip to celebrate his wedding, and that’s when he says the picture was taken. He says that he had a chance encounter with Kadaga at the airport but didn’t know who she was.

“If he was aware she was the architect of this horrific attack on queer Ugandans, he would not have done so,” a campaign spokesperson said in a statement. “Zohran’s belief in universal human rights extends to all people, and he has put forward the most comprehensive plan of any candidate to protect LGBTQ+ New Yorkers.”

“As Mayor, he will continue his record of action and values to make this a city where trans New Yorkers are cherished, our queer neighbors are celebrated, and each and every New Yorker can be the fullest version of themselves,” the spokesperson continued.

While the aforementioned pictures were taken and shared on social media in July, they are getting attention now, about a month before the New York City mayoral election.

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (I), who is also running for mayor, said that Mamdani is “lying” about not knowing who Kadaga is.

“Kadaga’s crusade against Uganda’s LGBTQ community has been condemned around the world for well over a decade,” he said. “Any serious public official, particularly one from Uganda, would know exactly who she is.”

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