Of course - my issue isn't with the free speech element of cancel culture, it's with the unthinking blind rage often festering beneath the surface. That's the terrifying bit as far as I'm concerned. That's why I draw the distinction between a boycott and what I would deem cancel culture. This is splitting hairs in some respects - but there is, to my mind at least, a huge difference between an organised protest and boycott with an aim and an agenda and a huge pile on. They may achieve the same function but they are two different beasts. I'm interested in how we promote the former and ditch the latter - and I think the answer is education and teaching people how to engage with each other.

To answer your questions in the comment below... no, I don't think Peterson or anyone else should be able to call a female student sugar tits (and not even Ms S Tits) - but also, should any student be allowed to determine how they wish to be addressed and leverage the power of social media to enforce it on pain of being fired? The answer isn't simple because, as always, these things are a balancing act. As I've said, I have no problem with people asking me to use whatever pronouns they want, but such a decision is at my discretion. I think it's both fair and nice to do such a thing but I won't mandate it for others using the law. If individual places wish to put it in their code of conduct then fine.... my own workplace has requested we put our pronouns in our e-mails. I have refused, my real name is more than adequate to infer my gender and I think it's performative and pointless to insist upon it. If they made it mandatory and fired me, then I would speak to my union about unfair dismissal. Perhaps I'm wrong on this.... perhaps not. I don't know.... but in a pluralistic society, it's fun finding out. :o)