If you thought the newly elected “transgender woman” in the U.S. Congress was a laugh, here’s another. The “non-binary” city councilor at large in Worcester, Massachusetts, is taking a month off from her duties because she was “misgendered.”
Thu Nguyen, a Vietnamese “non-binary,” claims that three of her fellow councilors committed the terrible crime, with one, she alleges, calling her “it.”
Nguyen’s declaration that she would duck her elective duties for 30 days followed a recent meeting at which announced she felt “unsafe” because the council discussed the propriety of members attending meetings remotely. Nguyen is one of those members.
The First Meeting
The safety issue apparently began with the council’s innocent inquiry into remote attendance at meetings; i.e., attending through cyberspace via an application such as Zoom.
The 11-member council discussed the matter “after an order was filed by Mayor Joseph M. Petty asking the Municipal and Legislative Operations Committee to hold a public hearing to review the limitations and options of the remote participation of public officials,” the Worcester Telegram reported (the newspaper uses grammatically incorrect pronouns to avoid offending Nguyen and other confused persons):
Petty filed a related order asking for the committee to review the conduct of public officials in other municipalities during meetings.
Councilor-at-Large Thu Nguyen took the first order to make a reference to their frequent remote attendance.
They reiterated that they do not break any rules when they attend meetings remotely.
“Mr. Chairman, under your leadership I have felt unsafe around this council body,” Nguyen said. “I have faced transphobia with being misgendered and recently learned that I have been dehumanized to a point where I’m being referred to as ‘it’ by my colleagues on this council.
“I wish to have felt safe on this council floor, but I don’t.”
The ink wasn’t dry on that edition of the Telegram before the newspaper — just hours later — reported that the non-binary Nguyen would “take [a] hiatus” to regroup and recover from the insensitivity of her fellow councilors.
Trump’s Fault
Of course, Nguyen couldn’t resist taking a shot at President-elect Trump in the statement she posted to her Facebook page.
“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, being misgendered by Mayor Petty and Councilor At-Large Toomey publicly on the council floor and recently learning that District 2 Councilor Mero-Carlson has been referring to me as ‘it’ multiple times,” Nguyen fumed.
Nguyen falsely claimed that “LGBTQ+ folks” face a continual wave of “hate,” “violence” and “physical threats” nationwide, and that the “overall volume” jumped 700 percent since November 5.
Well, with all that hate seeping even into woke Worcester, the lady just had to take the month off, she continued, although she is, of course, truly “sad” about it:
I am also sad to announce I will be taking a month to prioritize my mental and emotional safety as well as utilizing this time to forge a path to address this matter. I will need your support in holding Worcester to a moral and legal standard, but truly, that feels like the bare minimum. We deserve a government that is welcoming, embraces and takes pride in our LGBTQ+ community. As the first nonbinary elected in Massachusetts, I have always said for me it’s not just about identity politics. Making history as the first is one thing, what you do with it is another. I hope by speaking up against transphobia and hate, many of you will join me in pushing for a political reimagination of a government that holistically cares and serves everyone which rightfully includes the LGBTQ+ community.
To her credit, Nguyen posted a statement from Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson, who let the non-binary cat out of the bag.
Councilor Candy doesn’t remember any “misgendering.” But “it’s no secret that Councilor Nguyen and I approach public service differently,” she wrote:
This year, Councilor Nguyen has the lowest attendance record of any City Councilor — a striking contrast to my near-perfect attendance and presence at meetings and events across the city nearly every night of the week.
Formal Apology
Toomey confessed “misgendering” and apologized to Nguyen in reparation for the mortal sin.
Petty explained that he “offended” Nguyen going on three years ago:
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.
No matter, MassEquality, the Bay State’s lobby group for “LGBTQ+” fruits and nuts, demanded “a formal public apology to Councilor Nguyen and urge the city to implement lasting change,” it said:
This should include comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training for the City Council and other city officials, along with structural changes to ensure that no one, especially members of marginalized communities like Councilor Nguyen, faces discrimination or bigotry in the future.
All because Nguyen felt “unsafe” and “offended” because of “misgendering.” Or maybe, as Petty said, she’s furious because her colleagues outed her for attending too many meetings remotely.
Said Petty, the Telegram reported:
I will not apologize for holding myself and my colleagues accountable to the responsibilities entrusted to us by the people we serve. Being available, accessible, and engaged is a fundamental expectation of our roles, and it is critical to the success of the city.
Nguyen, whose first name, Thu, is a woman’s name in her native Vietnam, doesn’t much worry about offending others.
The Libs of TikTok X feed featured a photo of Nguyen in a T-shirt with this hateful message: “PAYING FOR PEOPLE’S ABORTIONS IS A REVOLUTIONARY POLITICAL ACT.”
Coming to Congress?
When the madness will infect Capitol Hill is unclear. But if it does, Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina will be ready.
When Delaware sent man-lady McBridge to Congress, Mace immediately moved to bar him from the ladies’ restrooms.
She also introduced a bill that defined men and women and banned men from women’s restrooms in all federal facilities.
Wisely, House Speaker Mike Johnson listened. Men, including those who pretend they are women, may not use the women’s restrooms.
