Jordan Peterson in New Zealand. Photo / Nick Reed
OPINION:
Spark Arena is supporting trans people on Transgender Awareness week by hosting Jordan Peterson, a man whose rise to public notoriety was vocal opposition to transgender human rights. Peterson is speaking at Spark Arena on November 19. Auckland Feminist Action is hosting a counter-protest at Mahuhu ki te Rangi Park opposite Spark Arena on the same night.
In 2016, Peterson inserted himself into a national Canadian debate on transgender rights. He released a series of videos declaring that he would not use a student’s pronouns. He reasoned his intentional misgendering of the student by saying it fell under compelled speech. He argued that the most likely explanation for people wanting their pronouns respected is “narcissistic power play” or an attempt to assert “linguistic supremacy” over him.
Peterson asserted that gender-neutral pronouns were an ideology “frighteningly similar to the Marxist doctrines that killed at least 100 million people in the 20th century”. Calling people a word as simple as he, she or they does not kill anyone. Instead, respecting people’s pronouns can be lifesaving.
At the same time, Peterson advocated against a Canadian Bill that sought to outlaw discrimination based on gender identity or expression. Bill C-16 added the words “gender identity or expression” to the Canadian Human Rights Act list of prohibited grounds of discrimination. Gender identity and expression joined identifiable groups like age, race, sex, religion and disability. Bill C-16 also prohibited advocating genocide and the public incitement of hatred against people because of their gender identity and expression.
Peterson argued it would become a crime to refuse to use trans people’s correct pronouns. Experts on Canadian criminal law said that Peterson was misreading Bill C-16, and actions much more serious than misgendering someone would be necessary to meet the threshold for criminalisation. However, Peterson’s inflammatory and misinformed views on a matter squarely outside his area of expertise became exceedingly popular among right-wing conservatives.
In 2022, Twitter suspended Peterson’s account under the app’s hateful conduct policy after posting a tweet misgendering and deadnaming transgender actor Elliot Page. Peterson added that Page had his “breasts removed by a criminal physician”. The physician was not a criminal. Telling blatant lies is a part of the so-called freedom of speech. Twitter alerted Peterson that he would need to remove the tweet if he wanted his account back, to which Peterson said he “would rather die”.
Peterson released a video on YouTube comparing gender-affirming care to Nazism. Peterson is not the victim. He is not a fool, either. He has a PhD. People like Peterson violate the terms of service of an app, so when they get suspended, they become a martyr. It is a never-ending oppression Olympics for privileged white men.
A petition this year called on Spark Arena to cancel Peterson’s event, alleging Peterson was transphobic, racist and sexist. Peterson’s followers argued that this was an attack on freedom of speech. I disagree. Peterson is not committed to the cause of freedom of speech. In 2018, Peterson filed a $1.5 million defamation lawsuit against Wilfrid Laurier University because he did not like how the university described him.
Is it not ironic that a purported free-speech hero attempted to curtail freedom of speech? Peterson has no issue using his wealth to silence people and compel them to apologise. Why, then, does he argue that freedom of speech is absolute? His actions say that he does not believe freedom of speech is absolute. Peterson only cares about his speech to advocate against vulnerable people, and that is called hypocrisy.
In 2022 alone, there have been countless anti-trans attacks. National MPs Judith Collins mocked trans people, and Simon O’Connor made an anti-trans speech against banning conversion therapy. Drag queens reading books in public libraries received a torrent of abuse. A conversion therapist declared he was still practising conversion therapy. A burned rainbow flag was staked on the lawn of Gloria of Greymouth. Bethlehem College had an internal policy prohibiting students from being trans. And Rainbow Youth in Tauranga was burned down.
I understand the value of freedom of speech. I belong to many groups with a long history of fighting for freedom against oppressive states, but not once have any of those groups attempted to use their freedom to condemn others for mere existence. Peterson’s ideology is not simply about freedom to express a view. His extreme views compromise the safety of vulnerable people by emboldening transphobes.
Trans people are facing the brunt of violent abuse and discrimination in New Zealand. By providing a platform for Peterson, Spark Arena creates an environment that fosters hatred towards an already vulnerable group. It is not too late for Spark Arena to cancel Peterson’s event. New Zealanders imported the anti-vaccine convoy from Canada, the Terfs from the UK and the Proud Boys from the United States. I implore Spark Arena not to import Peterson. If Spark Arena refuses to act, it is in the hands of allies to show up and protest this event and the rise of anti-queer hatred in New Zealand.
Shaneel Shavneel Lal (they/them) was instrumental in the bill to ban conversion therapy in New Zealand. They are a law and psychology student, model and influencer.
They allege the Crown ignored Treaty obligations by not engaging with them.