A city councilor at Worcester, Massachusetts, Thu Nguyen, is taking a month-long “hiatus” after accusing the mayor and two other council members of a pattern of misgendering. 

The three city officials accused of making transphobic comments have all issued apologies to Thu Nguyen, but they also offered criticism of their colleague for frequently not showing up to council meetings. 

The first openly nonbinary person to be elected in Massachusetts, Thu Nguyen, who uses they/them pronouns, posted a lengthy statement on Instagram announcing a break to prioritize mental health and “emotional safety.”

“It is unfortunate, as we transition under a Trump administration and exponential increase of fear experienced by the LGBTQ+ community, that I, as a City Councilor At-Large of Worcester, had to file a complaint to our Executive Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion about my experience in the past 3 years of dealing with transphobia and a discriminatory and toxic council culture,” the statement said.

The council member accused the mayor of Worcester, Joseph Petty, and two other council members, Kate Toomey and Candy Mero-Carlson, of incidents of misgendering, such as “referring to me as ‘it’ multiple times.”

“These hateful acts are unbecoming of a legislative body whose duty is to serve our communities and to honor and enforce anti-discrimination laws,” the statement said. 

Thu Nguyen made a virtual appearance at a Tuesday night council meeting and mentioned the complaint, saying, “I really wish, I really, really wish, I felt safe enough to show up on the council floor. But I don’t due to this level of dehumanization of my being.”

The aggrieved councilor also asked the city’s chief equity officer to “open an immediate investigation.”

Mr. Petty, who is a Democrat, responded to the allegations in a statement, saying, “During my 13 years as Mayor, I have always tried to treat every councilor with the dignity and respect they deserve. I would never knowingly say anything harmful.”

“The Councilor today is referencing a moment from a 2022 City Council meeting where I momentarily addressed the Councilor by an incorrect pronoun. Once brought to my attention, I quickly corrected the mistake and apologized. I am committed to ensuring my language reflects that respect at all times,” he said. 

While Mr. Petty admitted that he had used the wrong pronoun, he also took a shot at Thu Nguyen for missing committee meetings and said it was “unacceptable.”

Still, the mayor vowed to be an “ally and advocate for every member of our community” and to work to make Worcester a “place where diversity is celebrated and equality is not just an aspiration, but a reality.”

Ms. Toomey said she made an “honest error in addressing the councilor and may have done so a few times, for which I apologized,” but denied that she engaged in “intentional or consistent misgendering.”

Ms. Mero-Carlson said in a statement she has no recollection of “making the statements in question.” She added, “It is deeply troubling that Councilor Nguyen has chosen to distort the narrative and weaponize these accusations for political purposes.”

Ms. Mero-Carlson also criticized Thu Nguyen for missing city council meetings. 

Thu Nguyen was elected in 2021, making history as the first nonbinary person ever elected in Massachusetts.