4 ms·

He actually wrote a letter to the administration of his university to state that if he had a trans student he would not be compelled to use their gender pronoun

He actually wrote a letter to the administration of his university to state that if he had a trans student he would not be compelled to use their gender pronoun of choice. The admin told him, in so many words, to not be an asshole for no reason. He then published to response on the internet and played the victim. So he more or less had to create a controversy out of nothing. The great majority of people consider the question a matter of courtesy and hold no strong feelings.

tomsthumb 9y ago
> The admin told him, in so many words, to not be an asshole for no reason. He then published to response on the internet and played the victim. This is a pretty low resolution summary of their correspondence. It’s also pretty easy to argue that his behavior is better described as refusing to play the victim. For him, the loss of his rights is more impactful than the consequences of not complying, so he refused to play a part in the quiet loss of his rights.
- notconservative 9y ago
  I've heard him insist that he hasn't and wouldn't deliberately misgender one of his students. From my understanding, it is purely the attempt to compel behavior from him that is his issue.
jnbiche 9y ago
> So he more or less had to create a controversy out of nothing. The great majority of people consider the question a matter of courtesy and hold no strong feelings. Well, this is now enshrined in Canadian law, so it doesn't matter much what the great majority of people feel. It only matters how courts will interpret the law.
- upofadown 9y ago
  Not at all, although Dr Peterson has spent a lot of time arguing that it is. In particular, he thinks that a recent addition of gender to anti-discrimination law means something about the sort of gender pronouns you can use. He has not been dissuaded in his opinion by a great number of people with much better qualifications in that sort of law.
  - mercer 9y ago
    That's interesting. Do you have any links at hand explaining this? I mean, I can and will do some Googling, but perhaps you can save me some trouble?
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  > Well, this is now enshrined in Canadian law Well, something is enshrined in Canadian law, but the heat of the debate over whether what Peterson claims Bill C-16 does is a desirable thing for a law to do sometimes obscures the fact that people—including people who are experts in law, which Peterson is not—have challenged his characterization of what the law actually does.

tomsthumb 9y ago

> The admin told him, in so many words, to not be an asshole for no reason. He then published to response on the internet and played the victim. This is a pretty low resolution summary of their correspondence. It’s also pretty easy to argue that his behavior is better described as refusing to play the victim. For him, the loss of his rights is more impactful than the consequences of not complying, so he refused to play a part in the quiet loss of his rights.

notconservative 9y ago
I've heard him insist that he hasn't and wouldn't deliberately misgender one of his students. From my understanding, it is purely the attempt to compel behavior from him that is his issue.

jnbiche 9y ago

> So he more or less had to create a controversy out of nothing. The great majority of people consider the question a matter of courtesy and hold no strong feelings. Well, this is now enshrined in Canadian law, so it doesn't matter much what the great majority of people feel. It only matters how courts will interpret the law.

upofadown 9y ago
Not at all, although Dr Peterson has spent a lot of time arguing that it is. In particular, he thinks that a recent addition of gender to anti-discrimination law means something about the sort of gender pronouns you can use. He has not been dissuaded in his opinion by a great number of people with much better qualifications in that sort of law.
- mercer 9y ago
  That's interesting. Do you have any links at hand explaining this? I mean, I can and will do some Googling, but perhaps you can save me some trouble?
dragonwriter 9y ago
> Well, this is now enshrined in Canadian law Well, something is enshrined in Canadian law, but the heat of the debate over whether what Peterson claims Bill C-16 does is a desirable thing for a law to do sometimes obscures the fact that people—including people who are experts in law, which Peterson is not—have challenged his characterization of what the law actually does.