Bigots like Jordan Peterson

Jordan Peterson, the Canadian psychology professor and lobster-loving life coach who came to public attention after refusing to use the preferred pronouns of transgender people, has a new book coming out, and some staff at Penguin Random House Canada, were reportedly not pleased with the company’s decision to publish it...

...We should hope for more revolts like the one against Peterson, and the one that occurred when Simon & Schuster dropped racist provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos. Of course, there are strategic calculations, because a huge part of the conservative “brand” is the feigning of persecution. If book contracts are canceled, rightwingers will claim that they are being silenced for expressing “disagreement”, when the truth is that private parties are simply declining to financially reward noxious views... More here.

I like The Guardian, I always have, but this is an uneasy read for me. Feel free to correct me, but when did Peterson refuse to use preferred pronouns categorically? He is against mandating it and not just because of what they are, but because of where that may lead.

During one talk, Peterson is asked exactly that: “If I came up to you in class and asked you to refer to me as a certain pronoun, would you ignore my request?”

Peterson’s response was short and simple: “It would depend on how you asked.”