OASW Celebrates Pride Month

June 1, 2023

Today marks the start of Pride Month. This month we celebrate the strength and vibrancy of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

While the 2SLGBTQ+ community has a long history of resistance and resilience, the Pride movement is often credited as having begun with the Stonewall Riots in New York City in 1969 and the Compton Cafeteria Riot in 1966. These pivotal moments of grassroots revolution spurred an international movement for 2SLGBTQ+ rights. Here in Ontario, the first rights protest took place in Ottawa in 1971, and in 1974, the arrest of the Brunswick Four in Toronto was a tipping point in advancing the rights movement in this province.

While we have seen great progress over the past several decades, there is still much work to be done to have Pride flags freely flown and to have all 2SLGBTQ+ Ontarians feel welcomed, safe and included in all communities. As social workers, we all have a significant role in creating inclusive spaces and actively challenging hate and dismantling unjust systems which oppress, discriminate and harm the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

OASW is committed to standing in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQ+ community. We continue to provide our members with opportunities to critically reflect and expand their practice knowledge to increase safety and competency in working with 2SLGBTQ+ Ontarians across the lifespan.

Our gratitude goes out to the 2SLGBTQ+ social workers for doing this work every day. We celebrate and honour you.

Happy Pride Month.

Celebrate, Learn, Reflect and Act:

About OASW
OASW is the voice of social work in Ontario. It is a voluntary, bilingual, non-profit association representing more than 8,500 social workers. All members have a university degree in social work at the bachelor, master or doctoral level. OASW works to actively speak on behalf of social workers on issues of interest to the profession and advocates for the improvement of social policies and programs directly affecting social work practice and client groups served.