Joseph LoGiudice is an educator, a social worker, and a writer. He is a native New Yorker from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, and identifies as a gay Italian American man. Always regarded as the odd one, he never felt comfortable in his native neighborhood, which was filled with traditional, conservative, Roman Catholic, Italian Americans who adhered strictly to their values and gender stereotypes. Other importance memories that remain etched in Joseph’s memory are the mistreatment of his mentally ill mother, their reliance on public assistance, and his brother’s severe drug addiction. All of these issues made his life and his family’s life more difficult to cope with than most folks.
Being gay and flamboyant meant Joseph was castigated, discriminated against, and tormented by others in his neighborhood and in school. After years of this torture, he finally came to terms with his gay identity in high school, and refused to subscribe to the main culture’s way of thinking. Joseph dressed in flashy and form-fitting clothing just to make sure that others around him knew he was a gay man who didn’t care about their judgments.
The transition from high school to college was certainly not an easy feat for him. He earned acceptance to Columbia University, studied psychology, and was bestowed a Bachelor of Arts. The first two years of college were the most tumultuous ones due to experiencing homophobia and negative comments about his Italian American identity. During this time, Joseph isolated himself from the predominant homogeneous, White, Protestant group at Columbia, and pretty much coasted through his classes. Enduring feelings of loneliness led to a leave of absence from school to explore life.
In his time away from school, he was looking for meaning in his life. He realized through discussions about his past and reading self-help books that studying psychology was a perfect fit. One of his best friends, a straight Italian American woman, helped Joseph through this journey, and his maternal grandmother was pivotal in supporting him during this year of exploration.
Joseph returned to Columbia with a newfound spirit, and immersed himself in his studies and academic life. He joined the oldest student queer group in American, Columbia Queer Alliance (formerly known as the Student Homophile League), and became the treasurer and then president of the group. Also, he joined the student group, Societa’ Italiana, and made close friends with a racially and ethnically diverse group of people. Although the last two years of his academic life were rather difficult, finally Joseph made connections to people and found a path of study.
In May of 2004, his dorm room was filled with boxes ready to be transported to his home town, Bensonhurst, where he would once again live with his maternal grandmother, and begin seeking employment. But with no practical experience in psychology, the odds were stacked against him. Joseph felt angry that education was not the equalizer in society, a thought that was instilled in him from Columbia. Five months later in a depressed state, he met his lifelong partner, Michael Carosone, while driving in Tribeca. And a week later, he was offered a position at a social service agency, serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness in the community.
Gaining vital experience in the social work field, he began researching the next step in his career: earning a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.). Originally, Joseph thought he would earn a doctorate in psychology, but his personal and professional experiences led him to the social work world. This decision was informed by years of discussions, reading books, and peeling back the layers of psychological turmoil. Of course, Joseph credits people like his family, friends, and partner for helping him to make this important decision. They listened and gave feedback. He heard them and was grateful for their support.
At 26 years old, he entered a Master of Social Work Program at New York University’s Silver School of Social Work. Two years of practical experience and of learning theories in the classroom certainly shaped Joseph’s way of thinking on today’s world. It made him a stronger advocate for people who are living on the fringes of society. It made him enraged that our world allows the majority of resources to be distributed among a few people.
Fast forwarding to today, at age 30, having earned a couple of notches under his belt, Joseph believes that there is a great deal of change to occur in the world before it can be a just society. To be a part of this positive change, he advocates for disenfranchised individuals through teaching, writing, and practicing social work.
He was appointed a lecturer at Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, in the Department of Psychology, and at New York University’s Silver School of Social Work. He imparts to students the social policies that have influenced individuals’ lives; and he teaches life stories as a way to understand the importance of policy and practice. Thus, these stories celebrate individuals’ multicultural identities and their ways of coping, and describe the organizational structures that have impacted them.
Joseph continues to write stories of his own, describing his multiple identities and detailing his socioeconomic struggles. One creative nonfiction book that he is writing and editing is on the lives of gay Italian American men (see the tab “Writing” on this Website). Another endeavor that he will be embarking on is writing a memoir. Joseph writes a blog (which can be found on this Website under the tab “Blog”) which passionately states his opinion on where today’s society stands on a variety of issues—social, political, economical, physical, and psychological.
Lastly, by practicing his knowledge in the field of social work, implementing the concept of social justice, and analyzing individuals from an eclectic perspective, he is able to empower people from their own strengths.
Joseph LoGiudice lives with his beloved partner, Michael Carosone (michaelcarosone.com), in New York City.