My Experience Being Cancelled, Twice

“While many have suffered badly—and I do feel their anguish over being fired, falling into depression, or even committing suicide—I have to admit that it turned out rather nicely for me.”

By now most people have heard of—or know—someone who has been cancelled. This near rite-of-passage hit me not so long ago, and it came with a solid dose of good fortune. In fact, one could say I was very lucky to be cancelled, twice.

The National Association of Scholars tracks and records academic cancellations. As of February, 2021, there are now 122 people on it. Dr. Jordan Peterson was a relatively early addition—October of 2016. I was a much later addition in September of 2019.

Why was my cancelling fortunate, one might ask? Well, let me get to that in a moment.

It first began on September 6, 2019 when I questioned the dogma of diversity, tolerance, and inclusion through an op-ed in the Vancouver Sun newspaper. Like so much in the woke alteration of language, the term is now more aptly referred to as Diversity, Inclusion and Equity (DIE), but, nevertheless, I questioned it and then felt the repercussions afterwards.

While many now openly question, mock, and legally challenge the DIE ideology, even as little as a year-and-a-half ago in 2019, it was rare for academics not protected by tenure or unlimited wealth openly to challenge the dogma of diversity. As a part-time instructor at a Canadian university, I was taking my chances, some say foolishly and others say bravely, but that characterization I leave for the reader to determine.