School of Social Work

Out of the Closets & into the Libraries

"The slogan Out of the Closets and into the Libraries is a revised version of an early gap liberation slogan, Out of the Closets and into the Streets. In the early days of gay liberation this slogan was used as a way to emphasize the value of being open and honest, and to promote queer visibility. One of the few ways to challenge negative stereotypes about queer sexuality is to be open about it."

Created by: Daryl Vocat

• We acknowledge that our School is on the land of the Mississaugas of New Credit.

• We support the struggles of Indigenous populations, nationally and globally, for Indigenous sovereignty and their collective rights.

• We affirm human dignity and human rights and value equity among all people.

• We are committed to the implementation of social work values in our curriculum and in the delivery of our programs.

• We are committed to learning about communities that foster respect for social diversity, and critical reflexivity in our students and faculty.

• We educate about the intersectionality and interlocking of oppressions and seek to address their causes.

• Our program reflects ongoing attention to the rigor and relevance of our undergraduate and graduate degree programs which prepares our graduates with the requisite knowledge, skills and values to work with marginalized populations in a constantly evolving global context.

• We foster student-centered learning environments that engage and challenge students, and which are responsive to life circumstances and societal forces that create barriers to the student experience.

• We build relationships with communities, expressed in our collaborative community-based research, community service and in educational relationships with field placement settings.

• We stand with communities and populations that experience oppression and marginalization, including poverty, exploitation and domination, and seek to work with all those committed to the advancement of anti-oppression/ anti-racism, anti-colonialism/decolonization, feminism, anti-capitalism, queer and trans liberation struggles, issues in disability and Madness, among other social justice struggles.