It is to say the least, a complicated and controversial situation.
Gender activists who are transgender or who identify as neither male nor female (“non-binary”) or who otherwise identify themselves as being somewhere along the gender continuum, want to be identified by new words they say are gender neutral.
Instead of the English pronouns he, she, him her, some say the individual should be addressed as the plural “they”, or new words like “ze, xu, hir,zim, zer, thon, zhe, ve” and others.
A new federal bill (C-16) making its way through Parliament would seem to enshrine gender rights and such language into law.
Clinical psychologist Professor Jordan Peterson,is now at the center of the storm for choosing not to use such words. He is a recognized expert on personality and the psychology of religion at the University of Toronto. He has also spent decades studying the psychology of totalitarian regimes.
Listen
Professor Peterson says he chooses not to be obliged to use pronouns invented by “ideologues”. What’s more he says, is his objection to the liklihood of being forced by law into using such words with the threat of severe, possibly life-damaging consequences and penalties.
He says the whole issue is taking society down a very divisive path and a very dangerous legal one as well.
According to Peterson, Ontario’s so-called “social justice tribunals” will operate in a quasi-judicial manner but have granted themselves sweeping powers and which he says will ignore or bypass fundamental principles of our common law legal system.
At present he has been sent two warning letters by the University saying he is in contravention of their policies for making the video saying he wouldn’t use the invented pronouns.
He also said that in doing so, the university seems to have forgotten about their policy on free speech.
Additional information- sources
- Note-search on Youtube :”Jordan Peterson- will turn up many videos including his “fear and the law”, and “Message to Millenials”
- Open Parliament- Bill C-16 (+ links to full bill)
- CBC- Neil Macdonald-opinion
- National Post-Sean Craig-Sept 28 2016
- Toronto Star-Ellen Brait- Nov 16, 2016
- Toronto Sun-Prof J Peterson (PhD) Nov 3,2016
- Globe and Mail-Margaret Wente Oct 22, 2016
- National Post- Rex Murphy- Oct 28, 2016
- CBC- As it Happens Sept 30, 2016- interviews Peterson, Peet
- Ontario Human Rights Commission- gender identity/expression
- Social Justice Tribunals Ontario
On Twitter
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I will not use made-up gender pronouns. As you recognize, and if we can not tell by looking at you or you will not embarrass us.
I will not use made-up gender pronouns. Be who you identify as and if we can’t tell by looking we will not embarrass ourselves or you.
Seeing as how we all are abstracted from our sexuality why is it important, other than for narcissistic reasons, to require others to acknowledge that abstraction. Personally I not care or need to know your bend. Everyone has kinky bends. Are we going invent new words for those. From now on I shall be addressed as 904u0[jeqioroi0-3489=5-08polkjsjsekd. Hope you got that.
Professor Jordan Peterson’s stated worst fears about the intentions behind, and likely consequences of, bill C-16 are neither unfounded nor exaggerated. Nor do his public pronouncements that he will not use so-called gender neutral pronouns constitute meanness, bullying, discrimination, bigotry, or any number of other abuses he has been accused of perpetrating.
Lets be clear about this, Professor Peterson is very particular in his objection: He objects to being forced, under legal sanction, to speak words that fall outside conventional nomenclature (especially when those words are arbitrarily invented). That is a very different thing than being legally required to NOT speak certain words – as with hate speech laws, for example.
Forced speech (of this kind) enshrined in law constitutes a new direction for our society – headlong towards totalitarianism and the loss of all manner of free speech. This is not scaremongering. To quote the professor: “Free speech is not a value, like mercy or justice: it’s the fundamental problem-solving mechanism of humanity.”
Welcome back to the future. 1984.
If Alexandra Peet thinks Jordan Peterson is abusive, you should see her Twitter feed. Just saying.
Amanda, not Alexandra.