Luminary Iconoclast Leaving Woke Canada

"The issue with the College [of psychologists of Ontario] ... is very annoying to say the least."

"And the new legislation that the [federal] Liberals are attempting to push through, Bill C-63 [Online Harms Act] -- we'd all be living in a totalitarian hellhole if it passes."

"The tax situation is out of  hand, the government in Canada at the federal level is incompetent beyond belief. And it's become uncomfortable for me in my neighbourhood in Toronto."

"[I lived in a] kind of champagne socialist neighbourhood [where I was] less popular in my own neihbourhood than I am anywhere else in the world, literally."

"[The Toronto District School Board is] probably the most woke institution in North America, which is really saying something."

"[Toronto is] run by the wife [Olivia Chow] of the last leader of the socialist party in Canada [Jack Layton], and so the goal in Toronto was to turn it into Portland or San Francisco. And that's happening."

"I didn't ever expect that to be something that happened in Canada. But under Justin [Trudeau] and the woke mob, that's definitely something that's happened."

Jordan Peterson, Canadian psychologist, author, iconoclast

That's it, he's had enough. His advice and outlook on life, how to make the most of it sensibly with the use of one's own commonsense in acknowledging opposing ideologies while selecting what comes naturally, trusting your own reaction to prevailing and ever-changing social mores with a little helpful  hints from a seasoned veteran from the academic world whose personal experience leavened with the insight of a professional  people-watcher, will no longer tolerate the bullying of woke academia, government and  readjusted social structures that stricture personal development.

His rise to prominence owed greatly to pushing back against that woke establishment, starting with his refusal to accede to the preferred pronoun use at University of Toronto where he was a professor emeritus. His instructional books on living a fulfilling life, taking advantage of all possibilities with a clear head untrammelled with the junk science of modern reversals of societal mores mandating that everyone fall into line or be named an outdated troglodyte of social stagnation became a sensation among the troubled minds that saw no value in DEI, Critical Race Theory and Wokeness.

Anonymous complaints of Professor Peterson's private conduct in the social media sphere brought the heavy hand of the College of Psychologists of Ontario down on the Professor's head. His posts characterizing a plus-size model as "not beautiful" hit a sour note with someone, and a single complaint was sufficient no doubt, to spur the College into action against a sinning son. Professor Peterson was ordered to present himself for a coaching program on professionalism in public statements. And when a panel of Superior Court justices ruled that to be reasonable, Professor Peterson prepared himself for the ordeal.

Did those coaching sessions result in correcting Professor Peterson's impulsive remarks that people found so denigrating when he was expressing his opinion of the absurdity of social interactions? Hardly; it appears that the College was unsuccessful in persuading anyone of even minimal standing in the field to take the coaching position, possibly intimidated by the thought of 'correcting' the vision and values of a man known to be very capable in the debating field of rational thought.

 

In any event, the man is fed up with everything he sees and hears around him, from the administration of the Toronto municipality, to the pathetic aura in academia at every level where it is left-wing 'progressive' politics that rule the day and ruin the educational opportunities owing to those whose aspiration it is to secure a sound education, not constant exposure to deranged social experiments in restructuring the social weal to accommodate the victimhood ideology that permeates society from marginal minority groups to imported terrorist heroization.

 

When Professor Peterson left his tenured position with University of Toronto, chief among the reasons he stated was the "appalling ideology currently demolishing the universities and, downstream, the general culture". At a public enquiry into foreign interference, when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was testifying he seemed to refer to allegations out of the U.S. that RT, a media source linked to Moscow, had been bankrolling right-wing influencers, inferring that Professor Peterson was one of those. 

 

"I don't think it's reasonable for the prime minister of this country to basically label me a traitor and I don't find it amusing." 

Jordan Peterson has announced that he has moved to the U.S. from Canada. Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP/Getty Images

Jordan Peterson and Free Opinion, Free Speech

"The order is not disciplinary and does not prevent Dr. Peterson from expressing himself on controversial topics; it has a minimal impact on his right to freedom of expression."

"Dr. Peterson sees himself functioning as a clinical psychologist 'in the broad public space' where he claims to be helping 'millions of people."' 

"Peterson cannot have it both ways: he cannot speak as a member of a regulated profession without taking responsibility for the risk of harm that flows from him speaking in that trusted capacity."

Justice Paul Schabas, Ontario Divisional Court

"I'll comply with their regulations, but I'm not going to do it in secret... And the reason I'm not going to do it in secret is because I don't believe I've done anything wrong."

"The fundamental issue is one of free discourse," he said. "I like to think and we think by talking in large part. And so I'm not willing to suspend my tongue as a consequence of government decree."

"I deserve it [his license]. I earned it. I haven't done anything to justify suspending it, and I don't want to give the hyenas their bones." 

Dr. Jordan Peterson, clinical psychologist, emeritus professor, University of Toronto 

Jordan Peterson, who has gained international fame for his bestselling self-help books and lectures, has refused to pay to undergo a media training course ordered by the College of Psychologists of Ontario. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

"The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario is pleased with the court's decision confirming that members of regulated health professions are expected to maintain high standards of conduct, which at times may result in some curtailment of their freedom of expression."

"In our view, the decision again confirms that when a regulated health professional breaches expectations set by its regulator, including with respect to public speech, the regulator is best situated to assess and address the potential harm to public trust and confidence in the profession."

Carolyn Silver, Chief Legal Officer, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario

 

"When individuals join a regulated profession, they do not lose their Charter right to freedom of expression. At the same time, however, they take on obligations and must abide by the rules of their regulatory body that may limit their freedom of expression."

"The order is not disciplinary and does not prevent Dr. Peterson from expressing himself on controversial topics."

"Requiring coaching following apparently unheeded advice seems a reasonable next step, proportionately balancing statutory objectives against Charter rights which are minimally impaired, if they are impaired at all, by the [college's decision to require coaching]."

Ontario Divisional Court 18-page court ruling 

"[My client is] disappointed [in the decision]."

"He's obviously very concerned about the way in which the college's actions in this case have the potential to have a chilling effect on free expression by members of a regulated profession."

Matthew Gourlay, a Peterson lawyer

Dr. Peterson posted a 56-page document online in January 2023 outlining the complaints that were made against him, to the College of Psychologists of Ontario, claiming many had been produced by former clients, which initiated an investigation from the College of Psychologists of Ontario, responsible for governing the actions of psychologists in the province. The findings attained led the college to ask Dr. Peterson to undergo social media training, or he would face disciplinary proceedings.

When Dr. Peterson refused the order, he turned to the courts to review whether such authority was vested in the college, maintaining that his speech was outside the purview of the college authority since it was political. Furthermore, he added he had his own team of advisers to monitor his conduct. In their response the college noted that those people around Peterson were not analyzing his public communications from the perspective of whether he was violating obligations to the college.

The court agreed with the college, that it "recognized D. Peterson's 'right to freedom of expression', but expressed concern about the significance 'impact risks' in this case given that 'public statements that are demeaning, degrading, and unprofessional may cause harm, both to the people they are directed at, and to the impacted and other communities more broadly."

This entire situation arose years ago when Dr. Peterson declared his refusal to use the pronouns mandated by the Liberal government through Bill C-16 legislation, Canada's gender identity rights bill. The purpose of which was to act as a stepping stone in the promotion of 'safety and self-determination of trans and gender non-conforming people' making their identities and experiences legally explicit through the addition of “gender identity” and “gender expression” as grounds for protection within the country's human rights protection guidelines.

His opposition to the legislation expanding gender identity protections in Canadian human rights legislation, coupled with the huge popular success of his self-help book, 12 Rules for Life, has propelled Dr. Peterson in the public sphere as an authority celebrity figure. He has since gone on extensive speaking tours abroad to popular acclaim, and he has become a regular commentator on public affairs whose views continue to inspire controversy.

In one instance he commented on a plus-sized model's photograph in a popular publication, as "not beautiful". He was banned temporarily from Twitter for expression his opinion that a celebrity trans person "had her breasts removed by a criminal physician", both of which comments would make sense to quite a large audience. He has become a popular and noticeable guest on various social media sites and podcasts popular with the public often referred to as 'right-wing'.

The college, responding to the court decision stated its intention to review the decision and would "undertake next steps in accordance with our mandate and any appropriate legal processes" in view of Dr. Peterson's legal team planning to seek leave to appeal the court decision.

"Bill C-16 has been controversial, raising many concerns among its opponents and giving rise to heated debate.  Jordan Peterson, psychology professor at the University of Toronto, was one of the main opponents of the legislation.  Peterson says that gender neutral pronouns are  “constructions of people that have a political ideology.”  (Genders, Rights and Freedom of Speech, The Agenda with Steve Paikin, TVO (Oct. 26, 2016).)   He also believes that the new law will compel the use of gender neutral pronouns in private speech, an argument that the Canadian Bar Association strongly rejected.  (Sarah Reid, Everything You Need to Know About the Transgender Rights Bill, TVO (May 30, 2017); Justin Ling, Canada’s Transgender Rights Bill Could Become Law Before the Summer, Despite Some Controversial Opponents, VICE (May 17 2017).)"

Library of Congress 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in a Pride flag-raising ceremony on Parliament Hill. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

LGBTQ2 The Inquisition Lives!

"It is hard to imagine that a court would make such a finding [of discrimination]."
"The point of showing the video was to discuss the content of the ideas, and a court would have to balance the rights to non-discrimination with the values of academic freedom and freedom of expression."
Law Professor Brenda Cossman, University of Toronto

"I'm familiar with U.of T professor Dr. Jordan B. Peterson]. I follow him. But can you shield people from those ideas? Am I supposed to comfort them and make sure that they are insulated away from this [controversy over policy guidelines that refusal to refer to an individual by their self-identified personal pronoun]? Like, is that what the point of this [interview] is? Because to me, that is so against what a university is about. So against it. I was not taking sides, I was presenting both arguments."
"...When they [students] leave the university they're going to be exposed to these ideas, so I don't see how I'm doing a disservice to the class by exposing them to ideas that are really out there. And I'm sorry I'm crying. I'm stressed out because this to me is so wrong, so wrong."
"I don't get why I'm being seen as transphobic by virtue, by proxy, of me saying saying, just stating, just exposing people to an idea."
Lindsay Shepherd, teaching assistant, Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario

Dr. Jordan Peterson (left), Lindsay Shepherd (right)  Vice  The head of Wilfrid Laurier University officially apologized to a teaching assistant for a meeting in which she was berated for playing a video clip of controversial professor Jordan Peterson in a classroom.

"So the thing about this is, if you're presenting something like this, you have to think about the kind of teaching climate that you're creating. And this is actually, these arguments are counter to the Canadian Human Rights Code. Even since ... C-16, ever since this passed, it is discriminatory to be targeting someone due to their gender identity or gender expression."
"I understand the position that you're coming from and your positionality, but the reality is that it has created a toxic climate for some of the students, you know...."
"It's more about the effect than the intention. Obviously that wasn't your intention. But, nevertheless, it disturbed students enough...."
Nathan Rambukkana, supervising professor, Wilfred Laurier University

"Um, so gender-based violence, transphobia, in that policy. Causing harm, um, to trans students by, uh, bringing their identity as invalid."
"Their pronouns as invalid - potentially invalid."
Adria Joel, manager of Gendered Violence Prevention and Support, Wilfred Laurier University

Wilfrid Laurier University professors Nathan Rambukkana, left, and Herbert Pimlott, right, reprimanded teaching assistant Lindsay Shepherd for showing a video featuring controversial U of T professor Jordan Peterson without denouncing his views. Wilfrid Laurier University

Well then, is it understood now that society must gird itself punctiliously and take steps to extend their pronoun vocabulary to include ... let's see: "zim", "xe", "thon", "herm", and a galaxy of others, because the simple fact of politically correct life is that these and other pronouns are now required of those among us of patience and goodwill to surrender our conventional use of civil language to denote the presence among us of the aggrieved, the dreadfully wronged victims of yore, demanding their just due.

As respected members of our society, of course. Not so much respected any longer are those who hold out in respect of conventional civility and language to match, language that reflects heritage and culture, not so much dependent on the whims of the entitled who from the depths of their juvenile-arrested minds insist that society turn itself inside-out on their behalf. Which is to say, to mollify their outraged sensibilities that there any any among us so warped and cruel that we would deny them this yet-another victory foisted upon an appeasing public.

University of Toronto psychology professor Jordan Peterson. Tyler Anderson / National Post

And if there is any one single individual who has stepped into the foetid, roiling swamp of blame for upsetting the trans applecart, it can be none other than clinical psychologist and tenured professor of psychology at University of Toronto. Who, in a fit of displeasure at the pressures in the university environment to conform to popular demand that whining gender-confused students be 'respected' by acknowledging that they are not to be insulted through being addressed as 'her', 'him', 'ms' or 'mr', while 'they', bending the plural toward a singular gender-neutral designation is preferred.

By defying the appeasement of these childish demands, Professor Peterson has been identified as a Nazi, no less. He has become notorious, his name and his refusal to bow to the demands of irate transgenders and their myriad of supporters, inclusive of the very-careful-to-accede-to-left-society's championing of LGBTQ2 'rights' against the transgressors who revel in denying them, he has become anathema to right-thinkers, and a champion of the troglodytes who revel in denying trans' "human rights" entitlements.

Clearly, Lindsay Shepherd, a teaching assistant at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, is one of those backward types having brought in a video of an interview taken from a well-known and -watched television show, The Agenda, interviewing Dr. Peterson on the politics of grammar, so virulently controversial. For her students, felt Ms. Shepherd, this was as good a lesson as any on communications, language and the intersection of politics. She presented this lesson neutrally, content to have the students reach their own conclusions. For which sin she was brought  to an interview with university heavies to 'explain herself'.

Several hundred students attend a rally protesting the views of U of T professor Jordan Peterson, who refuses to use non binary pronouns.    Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail

In June the federal Liberal government passed Bill C-16 prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or expression, an initiative typical of this government that celebrates free speech rights, yet enacted this legislation that restricts free speech. It is a measure undertaken to stifle controversy over addressing trans people in the manner to which they prefer to be addressed, by insisting under the law that this is not a matter of free choice, but mandatory. On the other hand because the bill criminalizes extreme speech, it's hard to see how insulting a trans person by referring to that person as he or she would fall under that category.

Canada's hate-crime laws include inciting to genocide or deliberately inciting to hatred toward an identifiable group in categories inclusive of colour, race, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation and mental or physical disability; fairly exhaustive. Charges can be laid only with the approval of a provincial attorney general. The Ontario Human Rights Commission's policy guideline claims that "refusing to refer to a person by their self-identified name and proper personal pronoun" could be considered gender-based harassment.

But a witch-hunt, an inquisition has been launched and in fact, hatred and blame attached squarely to the reputation of Dr. Peterson, as an enemy of alt-gendered victims of societal discrimination. The lines have been drawn; all those who believe that Dr. Peterson's reaction to an unreasonable demand that societal attitudes and an entire language undergo a change to pacify the demands of a tiny segment of society is reasoned and reasonable, are themselves now charged with unforgivably, criminal phobic behaviour.

Cassandra Williams, a U of T student union member, at a Peterson protest in October. Peterson sparked a storm by declaring he would not use pronouns, such as "they," to recognize non-binary genders.  (Vince Talotta)