Mayor Eric Adams didn’t hold back when asked about mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani’s history of supporting the decriminalization of prostitution. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Adams challenged the idea that someone grounded in religious faith could stand behind legalizing sex work.
“I can’t be more clear. I’m a man of God, just as Mamdani says he’s a Muslim. I don’t know where in his Quran it states that it’s okay for a woman to be on the streets selling their body,” Adams said.
“I don’t know what Quran he is reading. It’s not in my Bible,” he continued. “As a man who said he is of faith, I don’t quite understand what religion supports prostitution.”
Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist and former Queens Assemblyman, has previously co-sponsored legislation to legalize sex work in New York. While he’s stayed relatively quiet on the issue during his mayoral campaign, Adams warned that his past support could signal future action.
“I think he’s lost on the fact that sex trafficking is very much part of prostitution,” Adams argued. “We are trying to bring down crime and he is talking about legalizing sex work.”
“You’re not doing any service to a woman who is on the street who is forced to sell her body for whatever reason. No one should be on our streets selling their bodies. No one.”
A Mamdani spokesperson countered, “Mayor Adams’ reckless budget cut over $3 million in funding from Safe Horizon… Zohran will prioritize genuine public safety for all.”
