When Joshua Croke of Worcester graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2014, one of the first things they did was get involved in helping the city’s LGBTQ+ community. Croke, who uses they/them pronouns, told MassLive they always considered themselves “biased towards action.”
“My recently adopted mission is to make queer a joyful norm,” Croke said. “Norm in this case meaning that we can exist as our authentic selves safely and that our cities are built to celebrate the diverse identities and cultures that are present within them.”
As part of their mission, Croke, 33, launched a new podcast this year titled Queer for Cities. The program, available on all podcast platforms and broadcasting on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 11 p.m. on WCIN, features interviews with members of the LBGTQ+ community throughout Massachusetts who have been involved in city planning.
Each episode explores queer life and influence in Massachusetts and New England Cities and features conversations about how cities and towns can be more equitable and inclusive for those in the community, according to the Queer for Cities website. The podcast currently has three episodes, with a fourth one in production, Croke said.
Croke told MassLive it is their belief that municipalities, school committees and elected officials must do more to ensure LBGTQ+ residents can live freely and be able to go to school, go to work, have a home or even be themselves without facing discrimination.
Croke said that while cities and towns in Massachusetts have broader protections for the LGBTQ+ community compared to other states, the LGTBQ+ community still faces hardships.
They cited a 2020 study conducted by the Williams Institute that found young adults aged 18-25 who identify as LGBTQ+ are more than twice as likely to be homeless than non-LGBTQ+ people. The study found that up to 45% of homeless youths identify as LGBTQ+.
In Worcester, some LGBTQ+ students have faced policies banning transgender students from expressing their identity and other restrictions on LGBTQ+ expression at the hands of the Diocese of Worcester, Croke said.
“You are more likely to be houseless if your are LGTBQ+ in Massachusetts,” Croke said. “You are more likely to be unemployed, you are more likely to face discrimination in the workplace.”
Croke said the challenges that the LGBTQ+ community as well as other marginalized groups face are the result of city leaders not including input from them when making decisions related to schools, housing, healthcare and a variety of other policies.
With this new podcast, Croke aims to seek out those voices and find out what policies cities can implement that would “liberate” LGBTQ+ residents and build a cities where they truly are included.
“This is a mission that goes beyond Worcester,” Croke said. “We’re imagining inclusive ways of living alongside each other. A way that values and centers the individual, communal and cultural needs for everyone.
A positive response
David Ginsburg, the general manager of Worcester’s NPR affiliate WCIN, told MassLive that he is impressed with Croke’s program. Ginsburg said he has worked with Croke on their previous program, Public Hearing, which focused on affordable housing, transportation and education in gateway cities such as Worcester.
“It’s a very well produced show,” Ginsburg said of Queer for Cities. “It’s important enough to broadcast not just for the LGBTQ+ community but for all of our listeners who may not be as familiar of some of these issues that people in this community face.”
MG Xiong, the director of programs of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Association and guest on Croke’s first episode, said they, too, were impressed with the quality of Queer for Cities.
“Josh is an incredibly impactful individual that has made me overzealous to be on the podcast in the first place,” Xiong said. “Thats the type of work and engagement I position myself in.”
Croke said they love podcasts because they allow them to explain and share their ideas. Their first podcast, Experience This Podcast, was launched in 2019. The podcast focused on technology and its impact on people. The show was picked up by WCIN, making Croke a regular voice on the station ever since.
“I started doing podcasts years ago when the medium was more emergent,” Croke said. “I just really loved the format of audio as a way to tell stories, share ideas and talk about issues.”
A decade of activism
Croke said their new podcast is the latest chapter in their story as an activist for the past 10 years.
Croke’s activism began in 2014 after they graduated from WPI. Upon graduating, they began connecting with Worcester’s LGBTQ+ community and started helping set up events such as Airspray — a monthly queer dance pop-up at the Electric Haze hookah bar. They also have been involved in Pride Worcester, advocating on behalf of those who identify as trans or queer and LGBTQ+ community members who are Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC).
In 2019, Croke founded Love Your Labels — a nonprofit organization that supports LGTBQ+ youth through art, fashion and Design. With this nonprofit, Croke aimed to help youths who identify as queer and transgender have a chance to express themselves through their work and not be ashamed of their identities.
“I founded Love Your Labels to advocate for and support queer and trans youth in the city and work to build environments that are affirming safe spaces where they can thrive,” Croke said.
Croke’s activism extends into topics beyond the LGBTQ+ community as well. In 2016 they became a board member of the Worcester Education Collaborative and in 2018, Croke founded Action! by Design — a consulting studio focusing on community and economic growth through creative arts, media and design.
David Webb, a Worcester resident and member of the LGBTQ+ community, told MassLive that Croke’s impact in the city has been positive, resulting in more voices from marginalized groups being heard. Webb, who identifies as bisexual, said that Croke has made the city a better place.
“Joshua has given a voice and platform to so many people,” Webb said. “They’ve been inspirational to me, showing how much can be accomplished just by saying an idea loudly so others can agree that it’s a good idea.”
For Croke, their mission never stops as they not only seek solutions to help those who are LGBTQ+ but use those solutions to create cities and towns where being gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, non-binary, and queer is a “joyful norm.”
“This is the main driver of Queer For Cities,” Croke said. “Unearthing the stories of LGTBQ+ people in our fight for space and rights to exist authentically as our selves everywhere.”
