Jordan Peterson could have psychology licence revoked over Twitter conduct and anti-trans tweets

Jordan Peterson speaks during a lecture while wearing a slightly yellow t shirt

Far-right pundit Jordan Peterson has finally discovered that his actions have consequences following several controversial tweets.

The anti-LGBTQ+ author has been told he could have his psychology licence revoked if he refuses to undergo a mandatory coaching program by the College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO).

Peterson initially revealed he was obligated to take the course in a 3 January twitter thread.

“The Ontario College of Psychologists has demanded that I submit myself to mandatory social media communication retraining with their experts,” he wrote.

“About a dozen people from all over the world submitted complaints about my public statements on Twitter and [The Joe Rogan Podcast] over a four-year period claiming I had ‘harmed’ people with my views.”

The former Toronto psychology professor also aired his frustrations at the obligatory media training course in a 4 January column for The National Post.

He cited his tweets criticising Canadian president Justin Trudeau – for what he described as an “unconstitutional” COVID-19 travel ban, while also calling him a “puppet” – as the reason for the admonishment from the Ontario College of Psychologists.

“What exactly have I done that is so seriously unprofessional that I am now a danger not only to any new potential clients but to the public itself?” Peterson wrote.

Jordan Peterson looks up at the ceiling during a live discussion.
Jordan Peterson has claimed his tweets criticising Justin Trudeau were predominantly why he is obligated to attend the media training session. (Getty)

Others have routinely cited his often blatantly anti-LGBTQ+ tweets and rhetoric, including claims that being trans is a “contagion” similar to “satanic ritual abuse”.

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Peterson acknowledged these criticisms in his column, saying that he had been labelled “sexist, transphobic” and a “climate change denialist”.

Despite the plethora of examples detailing Peterson’s vehement anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments – including several dozen tweets and audio snippets of him comparing the trans community to “borderline schizophrenic” individuals – he failed to cite any in his article.

Most notable was his refusal to correctly gender actor Elliot Page in a set of tweets in July, prompting his several-month-long ban from Twitter before being reinstated after Elon Musk’s acquisition of the site.

After being banned, Peterson recorded a 15-minute YouTube video titled Twitter ban” which saw the media pundit call gender-affirming healthcare a “viciously harmful fad”.

Since being reinstated, Peterson’s rhetoric against the transgender and LGBTQ+ community has continued among his repeated tweets of lockdown scepticism and far-right ideological rhetoric.

In a statement to Global News, the CPO said: “The college is not authorised to discuss this matter as per the confidentiality provisions of section 36 of Ontario’s Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991.”

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