New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has traded his trademark beard for a mustache to mark “Movember”, the global campaign that uses the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health.
Mamdani debuted the new look on Sunday, November 1, appearing clean-shaven except for a thick mustache. He was seen with it that day around the New York City Marathon, where he helped hand out water to runners, according to reports.
“Not just lip service”
On social media, the mayor confirmed he was growing the mustache to draw attention to men’s health problems, including prostate cancer. Playing on the word “lip”, he said his support went beyond the gesture and announced that his administration is investing $4 million toward a new prostate cancer centre.
ABC7 New York reported that Mamdani has supported the Movember cause for more than a decade. A representative also told The Cut that he is taking part to raise awareness of men’s health this month.
Mixed reviews online
The new look quickly lit up social media. Some New Yorkers said the mayor was pulling it off, while others said they preferred the beard or barely recognised him. One popular comment compared him to the video game character Super Mario, drawing tens of thousands of likes.
What is Movember?
Movember began in Australia in 2003 and has become a worldwide charity movement. Each November, men grow mustaches, and supporters take part in fundraising challenges, to start conversations about issues that often go undiscussed. The campaign focuses on:
- Prostate cancer, one of the most common cancers in men
- Testicular cancer, which mostly affects younger men
- Mental health and suicide prevention
The Movember Foundation says it has funded more than 1,000 men’s health projects around the world.
Why it matters for African men
Prostate cancer is a particular concern for men of African descent, who are more likely to develop the disease and to be diagnosed at a later stage. In Nigeria, it is among the leading causes of cancer deaths in men, and many cases are only found when the disease is advanced.
Doctors advise men, especially those over 40 or with a family history of the disease, to talk to a health worker about prostate screening, such as the PSA blood test, and not to ignore symptoms like difficulty urinating or blood in the urine.
Mamdani, who became New York’s first Muslim mayor and the first of South Asian heritage, was born in Uganda.
Sources: ABC7 New York, The Daily Beast, NYC Mayor’s Office.
