Worcester Candidate Accused Of Making Anti-LGBTQ Comments

WORCESTER, MA — A Worcester School Committee candidate is reported to have made anti-gay comments and expressed enthusiasm for debunked COVID-19 treatments, prompting calls for her to apologize to the city's LGBTQ community.

Screenshots of comments attributed to candidate Shanel Soucy on her personal Facebook page have been circulating on social media since early September. Most attention has been focused on a comment on which Soucy says she does not support "homosexual behavior" and ponders whether gay people are influenced by "demonic" forces.

"Some of my closest friends, clients and more practice this lifestyle and I have always been clear about my beliefs about it," the comment said, according to a screenshot shared with Patch. "I do not support it anymore than I support sex outside of marriage . ... Whether these behaviors come from demonic influence or the evils that lie in our own hearts, or both, it is not up to me to decide for anyone else."

During a brief interview on Tuesday, Soucy said she does respect the LGBTQ community, and that the "falsified" screenshots are being circulated by a "hate group" that doesn't like her opposition to Worcester's new sex education curriculum. The "Rights, Respect, Responsibility" curriculum went into place this fall, with an option for parents to opt out.

"The LGBTQ community are people, they're human beings," Soucy said when reached by phone Tuesday. "I love all people."

Pressed about the "homosexual behavior" comment, Soucy declined to address it directly.

"I love and respect all people," she said before ending a phone call. She did not answer a follow-up call on Wednesday, and her voicemail inbox was full.

Another Facebook screenshot purports to show support for Stella Immanuel, a Texas doctor and pastor who touted hydroxychloroquine as a cure for COVID-19. Both the World Health Organization and the Food and Drug Administration have said the drug is not effective against COVID-19.

Neither the "homosexual behavior" comments nor the Stella Immanuel comments can be found now on Soucy's Facebook feed.

Soucy, 40, on Tuesday night hosted an 18-minute Facebook Live video in which she spoke in more detail about her opposition to Worcester's sex education curriculum, angrily decrying the material as "pornographic indoctrinal [sic] teachings." She also called the Facebook comments attributed to her "falsified."

"Because I stuck my neck out and will continue to stick my neck out for these children and all the children in Worcester Public Schools ... because I did a hate group and sadly even some of our current school committee members and public officials have joined in to pass around falsified comments in hopes to paint me as someone who's against the LGBTQ community," she said during the video. "I'm disgusted."

At-Large City Council candidate Guillermo Creamer, who is openly gay, has discussed Soucy's comments publicly, first calling them out during the Oct. 8 "Talk of the Commonwealth" show.

Creamer said Wednesday that Soucy should publicly apologize for the comments. He also highlighted how recent the comments are, indicating Soucy's views may not have changed.

"When someone posts in 2020 that they do not support homosexual behavior, and that these behaviors come from demonic influences or evil, there is no other framing than homophobia, plain and simple," Creamer said.

Soucy has received some strong backing in her campaign so far. At-Large Councilors Morris Bergman and Donna Colorio have attended at least one of Soucy's campaign events, according to photos posted on Soucy's campaign Facebook page. She has also been endorsed by the AFL-CIO of Central Massachusetts. Neither Colorio, Bergman nor AFL-CIO of Central Massachusetts President Joseph Carlson responded to a request for comment about Soucy.

Eight candidates are running next month for Worcester School Committee, including four incumbents. Soucy, along with Sue Mailman, Jermoh Kamara and Jermaine Johnson, are competing to at least fill the two seats being vacated by John Monfredo and John Foley — although all six seats are effectively up for election on Nov. 2.