The first openly nonbinary elected official in Massachusetts history is taking a one-month hiatus from their Worcester City Council duties, alleging her colleagues have created a “toxic council culture.”
“I really wished I felt safe enough to show up on the council floor, but I don’t due to this level of dehumanization of my being,” Councilor Thu Nguyen said during a meeting earlier this week.
Nguyen claims they’ve been misgendered and referred to as “it” by their peers in a discriminatory pattern of behavior that’s been ongoing for three years.
“I have never felt there was any avenue I could turn to for safety and feel protected against the discrimination and toxicity of our council culture,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen says they will take a month off to prioritize mental and emotional safety while forging a path to address this matter.
“I know as someone with many intersectional marginalized identities, city hall is not safe, welcoming nor accessible to everyone,” Nguyen added.
In a statement issued in response to Nguyen’s allegations, Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty vowed to work with the city to “ensure the safety of all councilors during public meetings.”
Nguyen has also asked the city’s Executive Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion to open an immediate investigation.
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