WORCESTER - Outrage in the Worcester LGBTQ+ community over allegations of transphobic treatment of nonbinary City Councilor Thu Nguyen took center stage at the City Council Tuesday, as supporters of Nguyen excoriated councilors for nearly two hours.

Worcester’s city council on Tuesday formally apologized to Councilor Thu Nguyen for the harm they’ve experienced on the job.

Nguyen announced Jan. 15 that they were taking “a hiatus” from their public duties after alleging they had been misgendered by fellow officials

There was a mix of support and outrage in Worcester on Tuesday night as allegations of a toxic culture and transphobia within the Worcester City Council were heard during a public meeting.

GBH News spoke with Nguyen about their identity and role in politics a week before they announced a one-month leave from the council.

At a contentious Dec. 17 meeting, Nguyen sharply criticized City Manager Eric D. Batista and the council's leadership for not opposing a statement by an outside attorney representing the city who had cast doubt on the Justice Department's findings on the Police Department.

Worcester City Council-at-Large member Thu Nguyen, the first openly nonbinary person elected to office in Massachusetts, wrote in a Facebook post there has been “transphobia” over the past three