Now That Zohran Mamdani Won, Let’s Talk About Disability Erasure: From A Disabled New Yorker Who Voted For Him
by Michele Sommerstein
The following is a call-in (opposed to calling someone one out), a call for solidarity, accountability, and action.
Don’t get me wrong. Like many New Yorkers who voted for Mamdani, I am a big fan of the policies that he ran on, and I look forward to them becoming a reality.
The support for small business, free buses, protection for the queer community (of which I am a part of), fair wages, support for Unions, protection for immigrants especially against ICE (which should be abolished), and so much more.
As an anti-Zionist Jew, it’s nice to finally have a mayor who knows that not all Jewish people have the same ideas regarding safety. And as an intersectional activist on the left, I strongly believe that in so many ways, he is what this city needs right now, especially in these times. And because the disability community is a marginalized group in our own right, that also exists within every oppressed demographic, these are all ideas that we, too, will benefit from.
Related: Mamdani offers real solutions for mental health
There was no way I was giving my vote to Cuomo, who caused disgusting amounts of harm and death to the disability and/or senior communities during the height of the pandemic. Because it wasn’t just senior New Yorkers stuck in those nursing homes. Disabled people far too often are forced against our will from our homes and communities and into nursing homes and institutions, in lieu of the rich being fairly taxed. And we get it from both sides. The Democrats and Republicans are both complicit in our oppression.
Related: Governor Hochul: New Yorkers Need Care, Not Corruption! Not to mention the countless number of women whom he sexually harassed, Cuomo, who was recently endorsed by the Orange Fascist, I could go on, but need I say more?
And as I shared Mandani’s videos and filled out my absentee ballot giving him my vote, I felt a mixture of anxiety (in which the idea of him losing invoked) and, dare I say, hope that frankly has not been in abundance in these times. Another world is possible, but god damn.
Especially in these times of fascism, it is vital that no oppressed group is left behind. When the disability community is not included, we are not only harmed, but the harm goes unnoticed or “justified” and then repeats. I remember the moment at the start of the pandemic when Mayor Bill de Blasio failed to mention disabled people regarding the next steps. And I thought, “Oh shit, he didn’t mention us.” I watched it two more times, surely I had missed it, but no. We were erased. “This is bad…” I thought to myself, and it was. Related: Disabled in NYC: My Covid Story
Related: First they came for disabled people...
Which is why, when I saw that while Mamdani was showing solidarity for all the other marginalized communities on his campaign website, I felt this grave disappointment and exhaustion when I saw that the disability community was not included. He is this embodiment of the idea that another world is possible, a world for the people, not the wealthy few, and then… cue sad trumpet noise
[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: a vertical 11x18 poster with a bright yellow background. There is a thick, hot pink diagonal rectangle that in the upper center and goes upward towards the right. Beyond that the poster is just mostly text of a various & cool fonts. The main text which takes up the most room and is a variety of fonts that have either a glamorous or punk aesthetic and is yellow and black reads: "There is no collective liberation. Without disabled people" And then in a smaller font there are other lines of text which are the same colors as the main text but every line has a black rectangle behind it. The words collective liberation are in that pink diagonal rectangleTop: disability exists within every other marginalized community. Under the pink rectangle towards the right: ableism is the false idea that disability is by default inferior. Bottom: unlearn and destroy all forms of Supremacy including ableism. Lastly In a small plane font the words designed by Michele Sommerstein and The radix logo."] And while I am happy he won, there is no excuse for the erasure. These are two valid things that exist at the same time and don’t negate each other. There is literally a Mayor’s Office For People With Disabilities, and at least on the national website for DSA (Democratic Socialists of America), they have a disability workgroup. So, to be aware of all of that (I don’t see how he couldn’t be), and still not include the disability community as he did with all the other oppressed groups, is lacking solidarity, dangerous, and hurtful.
And I’m tired because disability erasure is not a fluke. It’s so common that when we are actually properly included, it feels like a novelty. I am so tired of having to remind people, especially in 2025, that disabled people exist. And it’s not like able-bodied people don’t know that. When I go out in my motorized wheelchair (aka: Ms Ava Sequoia LaRue), with my disability quite visible (and proud #represent), able-bodied people have no problem noticing that I very much exist. The prolonged gawking, rooted in either pity, disdain/disgust, confusion, or "inspiration". Sentiments in which people sometimes feel far too comfortable verbally expressing. So people know that we exist. The problem is that we are not viewed as full-fledged human beings. Related: Any access that we have has been hard fought for, not gifted. Related: Project 2025 and the Disability Community
Furthermore, because ableism says disability equals inferior, we are then expected to be grateful for any crumbs that we might get. We are not concepts that exist for able-bodied consumption. We vary and are deserving of rights and liberation, like any other marginalized group.
[ID: A graphic with a white background and black “typewriter” font text. It reads, ”Ableism is… (a form of) discrimination. The false idea that disabled people are by default, inferior. When in truth, disability is just another way for a mind and/or body to be.”] I waited to write this article until after the election, fully aware that this call in (vs calling him out) for solidarity, accountability, and action could be used against him by Cuomo and the MAGA crowd. The same people who, going by who they support, do not have solidarity for disabled people. Far too often, our oppression is used as a prop when it suits their agenda and is quickly abandoned when it does not. So, where do we go from here? We can’t change the past. We can only acknowledge, learn, grow, and do better. Because if the goal is truly a city for the people, then we must go forward with real solidarity for all marginalized New Yorkers.
After all, the disability community is a marginalized demographic in our own right, who also exists within every other marginalized group. Therefore, there is no collective safety nor liberation without us. In the end, a real revolution leaves no marginalized people behind.
[image description: (edited to fit within the character limits of most social media sites) photo. motorized wheelchair. protest sign on external side of elevating legs rests. sigh description: horizontal rectangle. Thick white border. Within that a red rectangle with a horizontal pink triangle where the point is facing left. The pink triangle is a bit more than half the width of the graphic. The main text, modern white font except silent (yellow), genocide (green), fascism (green) each line has a black rectangle behind it that is horizontal. The text reads don’t be silent in times of genocide & fascism. right of The text quote in times of genocide end quote there is a watermelon slice illustration a symbol of Palestinian liberation. & to the left of the lines genocide and fascism there is an image of an orange with a yellow circle & line going diagonally aka no orange as in no orange fascist Underneath the larger text, same font same style of white text with black rectangle behind it but in a smaller size it reads leave no oppressed groups behind including the disability community.]
Author's Note: Thank you to Jennifer Marie Bartlett, who partially inspired this article (but not in an ableist way).
