Join me in donating to @npr.org today to give them a boost as they face fed threats. An attack on public media is an attack on democracy. The dial is turning toward authoritarianism & we must fight back. Being informed is critical to how we mobilize.. they know that. www.npr.org/donations/su...

Texas storms aren’t playin. Thought I was a goner today but made it from #HTX to #ATX okay. Excited to check out queer+ Austin while I’m here.

Carol Naughton from #PurposeBuiltCommunities kicking off the #ProsperityStartsWithPlace Conference in #HoustonTX! We’re a room of “neighborhoodists,” people who believe neighborhoods are engines of change for creating prosperity and opportunity for all. #StrongNeighborhoods

At #ProsperityStartsWithPlace repping Mason Square TDI w/ MassDev! Let’s connect on transformative dev & building joyful communities! Excited to explore the Neighborhoods Network & more! 🏘️✨ Let’s grab coffee? ☕️

It was great to be on @wgbh.org The Culture Show w Jared Bowen to talk about Love Your Labels upcoming show at JMAC & the importance of cultivating spaces for queer & trans 🏳️‍⚧️ youth and community as we navigate the darkness we are facing as a nation. If you missed it, take a listen here! #lgbtq

🖤 Vigil for Sam Nordquist 🖤 📅 Sun, March 16 | 1-4 PM 📍 The Village Worcester Honoring Sam, a beloved Black trans man, with space for grief, healing & action. #BlackTransLivesMatter #Solidarity partiful.com/e/yW8dhPw9ki...

Manifesting a business partner who loves the biz & ops side of things who is similarly passionate about place-based, transformative development in communities rooted in equity & joy & the power of art and design. #manifestmonday

GM #WorcesterMA! Local politics is more important now than ever. Are you looking to get involved? Over the last 3 local elections, an avg of 18% of voters decided our elections. That needs to change. I’m recruiting folks for #VoteWorcester, a campaign to increase voter turnout. www.voteworcester.com

There is just so much magic here. To me, it taps into the spiritual power of music. Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande really manifest a power with their voices. #Oscars youtu.be/In-GXkhzFNM

Call to queer & trans folks/orgs around #WorcesterMA. With our historic passing of the Trans+ Sanctuary City Res., people are reaching out to move to the Woo! I want to partner with folks to create pathways for these folks — job opps at inclusive cos, housing resources, & more. Reach out!! 🩷🩵🤍

I made this the other night while procrastinating, mainly because I thought all the posts about the blackout were boring. It feels like there is momentum bringing people together!

Listening to @totcshow.bsky.social & caller says we’ve lost the ability to argue politics at the fam bbq. My hot take: If you’re the trans person at the family bbq & the argument is about whether or not I should be able to use the bathroom, that's wildly different than disagreeing on foreign policy.

Tonight at #WorcesterMA School Committee, @suemailman.bsky.social asks for reconsideration of the LGBTQ+ Safe Schools Resolution. The vote takes place before public comment, so everyone should contact members asking them to reconsider & then pass the #LGBTQ+ Safe Schools Resolution.

Small biz are struggling across the country. Here in #WorcesterMA the loss of Redemption Rock hit really hard for many of us. A true exemplar of a third space, I felt at home there—built relationships with the team & the regulars & hosted Drag Story Time since the start. Thank you for 6 great years.

Slow everything down in order to feel it more.

Living in walking distance to your friends massively transforms your quality of life. Ultimate life hack.

Let's be clear that most chose to clearly state that two members' deep concerns were not worthy of their time, concern, or empathy.

Working on a new website and being reminded how I’ll never forgive @bostonglobe.com for this pic in their article “A post-pandemic LGBTQ+ ‘renaissance’ in Worcester, driven by young people” and how it’s the main photo when you google my name now 😂😂😂

Joshua Croke, an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and the founder of the nonprofit org Love Your Labels, told @masslive.bsky.social, “I am embarrassed that they voted against holding our elected officials accountable through a transparent accountability process,” Croke said.

This is your friendly reminder to take some space for yourself. Joy, rest, & laughter are critical elements of sustained advocacy. To our trans and migrant folks especially right now, you’ve got people fighting for you. 🩷🩵🤍 📸 @alph4d0g.bsky.social

“When the president of the United States, in his inauguration speech says that you do not exist, it should matter at our local level,” said Joshua Croke, co-founder of a Worcester LGBTQ non-profit for kids. — @nypost.com nypost.com/2025/02/12/u...

“Our cities need to be organizing to say, ‘Absolutely not,’ and, ‘We will fight, we don’t care what legal battles we have to push for, what funding might be compromised, we are going to stand firm in support of our trans folks,’” Joshua Croke said. @cristelaguerra.bsky.social @wbur.org

“When the president of the United States, in his inauguration speech says that you do not exist, it should matter at our local level,” they said. “It demands a response from our elected officials to say we recognize that you are under attack and in Worcester, we are going to protect you.” — me ;)

Joshua Croke on Worcester’s LGBTQ+ Protests: ‘A Fight for Transparency and Inclusion’ (via Radio Worcester) radioworcester.com/joshua-croke... @joshuacroke.bsky.social

👀 VoteWorcester.com has entered the chat...

Heading into November, in solidarity and support of @etelhaxhiaj.bsky.social! District 5 City Council!!

“You shouldn’t have to be doing this,” Worcester resident Josh Croke said to the crowd at the Queer Ball. “We should have been able to resolve this at city council four weeks ago, but we are still here.” www.masslive.com/worcester/20...

“Co-location does not mean collaboration” — Carol Naughton from PBC. As a facilitator, convener, & designer, this resonates strongly with me. Collaboration takes intentional commitments from community to work together. Centering equity, it means we need to make space for addressing harm & healing.

20% of students time K-12 are in school. That means that 80% of their lives are out in community. Our neighborhoods, cities need to cultivate places that nurture learning & opportunity everywhere. That planning work can be intentional through School Centered Neighborhood Development.

Are you a “Neighborhoodist”? Purpose Built Communities’ Carol Naughton is talking about the power of place for building prosperity for families and how neighborhoods are a critical engine of change. I love this framing, and I’m fortunate to be in this work through MassDev #GatewayCitiesTDI.

Schools are critical resources in every community, and we should be building our planning strategies around them, with students and families. I’m at MassInc’s event School Centered Neighborhood Dev From Theory to Action. How would design your neighborhood to better support students & families?

“How many of us have to come forward tonight to ask that you simply make us feel a little safer?” resident Olivia Scanlon said.. You don’t have to change your personal beliefs. You don’t have to be gender diverse.. You just have to exercise an iota of empathy.”

Our lives are not negotiable! #translivesmatter “Many residents who spoke during the public comment period took umbrage with Colorio’s question, asking the council if money is worth more than the lives of transgender and queer individuals.” www.masslive.com/worcester/20...

We've got a big show this morning! Here's what's coming up ⬇️ 7:05 - Mayor Joe Petty 7:34 - @joshuacroke.bsky.social 8:05 - #TheRundown with @hendersonma.bsky.social and @masspolwatch.bsky.social ⏰ 6-10 📻 AM-830, WCRN 💻 radioworcester.com 📞 774-364-8255 (Call/Text)

Oh! Also! Launching a voter activation campaign 👀 check it out at VoteWorcester.com #VOTEWORCESTER

This is #WorcesterMA, and we’re pretty fkn queer. Our Queer Ball at City Hall was a powerful outpouring of community, joy, and action. We’re still here giving public comment. Let’s see where this goes.

Also if you're lucky, you'll work with organizers like @joshuacroke.bsky.social and the stuff will involve drag

“When people seek to observe their first amendment right “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances,” and the federal government is unresponsive, or the source of said grievance, it is natural that those individuals would look toward their local government.” @thisweekinwoo.bsky.social

“When a transphobe in your community gets their public life destroyed by the fact of that coming to the surface, it sends a loud message to the other transphobes. Fuck with our trans neighbors at your own fuckin’ risk.” @billshaner.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/billshan...

Who’s ready to shed rainbows at City Hall on Tuesday? RVSP here to join us as we demand better from elected officials right after we officially do some hype dancing beforehand because ✨queer joy is power.✨ #WorcesterMA PLEASE SHARE: partiful.com/e/rxwI1vIf6p...

If you make someone believe something is true, the more likely it is to become true. Don’t believe him. Don’t believe the orange self proclaimed “king”.

Stalin attacked the arts. Hitler attacked the arts. Castro attacked the arts. There’s a map for where this is heading.

Hell yeah. Hold the line. This is what we need people to do. Slow things down, don’t comply in advance so the courts have time to stop them. It’s starting to work.

Shame on most of our elected officials here in Worcester right now. “McCullough’s document, which she said was written after consulting with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC), removed much of the LGBTQ+-specific language in favor of broader text..”

Shame on our former Governor for bending the knee to a transphobic administration.

I want to thank @suemailman.bsky.social and the two other members that listened to the outpouring from community on this item. Shame on the rest of the committee for pushing through a watered down "all students matter" BS resolution.

For Worcester School Committee folks who don't understand why a special resolution just for LGBTQIA students was needed, this is why. FOH with your "all students matter" nonsense.

#Worcester We need you to show 👏 up 👏 this coming Tuesday in support of LGBTQ+ folks! Can we count on you? Bring the pod. 💅 👗 👠 Dress is “Diva Decorum” partiful.com/e/rxwI1vIf6p...

The CDC mandate, however, will erase mention of queer, intersex and transgender individuals from future literature and seems to legitimize “scientific sexism”, says James Mungin, a biomedical scientist at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, who identifies as transgender.