Member of the City Council in Worcester, Massachusetts Thu Nguyen has been refusing to show up for meetings in person despite the urging of Mayor Joseph Petty citing ‘transphobia’. Nguyen prefers to be referred to by the pronouns ‘they/them,’ but some fellow council members have used other pronouns, which made her ‘feel unsafe,’ according to Nguyen.
Please note that unlike in smaller cities, being a city councillor is a full-time job in Worcester, which pays $30,426 to $33,305 per year.
Nguyen also claims that Candy Maro-Carlson, a fellow council member has repeatedly referred to her as ‘it’. In response, Maro-Carlson has stated: ‘While I do not recall making the statements in question, I acknowledge that it was a challenging and emotional week where difficult conversations took place. These claims, however, misrepresent my character, my record, and the values I have consistently upheld.’ Another member, Khrystian King has told the local ABC News affiliate that city staff had confirmed to him that Councilor Nguyen has in fact been referred to as ‘it’ by another Council member.
In the latest development, Nguyen has filed an official complaint with Worcester’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and an investigation is now underway. The proclaimed victim has also announced that she is taking a month-long leave for her mental health’s sake.
Mayor Petty issued a press release on the matter on Wednesday, 15 January. In it, he wrote that he ‘momentarily addressed the Councilor by an incorrect pronoun’ at a Council meeting in 2022, but ‘quickly corrected the mistake and apologized.’ He then went on to state that ‘Councilor Nguyen has missed half of the Traffic and Parking subcommittee meetings and has not held a meeting for the Public Service and Transportation subcommittee that they chair. Failing to participate in these essential responsibilities is unacceptable.’
Transgender Activism Taking a Back Seat in the US
While all this is taking place in Worcester, Massachusetts, the Republican majority in the House of Representatives in Washington, DC has passed a bill banning biological men who identify as women from competing in women’s sports. The 216 Republicans present have all voted in favour of the bill, along with two Democrats from Texas, while 206 Democrats have voted against. The proposed legislation thus will be presented to the Senate floor, where Republicans hold 53 out of 100 seats for another simple majority. However, they would need 60 votes to be able to stop the Democrats from filibustering the bill.
After the bill’s passing, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana explained that his party members have voted for the new bill because they ‘support what is right and what is common sense.’ He also stated that ‘men are men and women are women, and men cannot become women. It’s sad that we have to say that, it’s a matter of biology, it’s how we are made.’
Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, the Trump campaign ran ads showcasing the transgender members of the outgoing Biden administration, which later proved to be an effective strategy, This highlights the popular support for curtailing transgender activism in the United States. Even Democrat Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who was fiercely speaking up against the new transgender sports ban bill, removed her preferred ‘she/her’ pronouns from her bio on X after the election; and has started referring to herself as ‘Congresswoman’ as well.
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