What's Going On With Jordan Peterson And Elliot Page?

Jordan Peterson was suspended from Twitter this week, but why? It appears to be about a controversial tweet he posted regarding transgender actor Elliot Page, formerly known as Ellen Page.

Since then, he's posted a video about it on YouTube and Instagram where he was quoted saying, "Up yours woke moralists. We'll see who cancels who."

Now it appears that Elon Musk has joined the conversation and even Ben Shapiro? Overall, why would Peterson "rather die" than delete the tweet? Let's explain.

What Did Jordan Peterson Tweet About Elliot Page?

On June 22nd, 2022, Peterson quote retweeted a New York Post tweet that linked an article written about Elliot Page's transgender character on the TV show The Umbrella Academy. Before Page underwent his transition, he was acting on the show as a female character, however, after receiving "top surgery" to remove his breasts, Page's character transitioned alongside him. This was integrated into the plot by the show's writers.

Peterson wrote in response to the New York Post, "Remember when pride was a sin? And Ellen Page just had her breasts removed by a criminal physician?"

It stirred up a couple of reactions right away, like one from Twitter user @UrosZiv who called Peterson a "100% full-blown fascism enabler." Other reactions immediately surfaced on /r/JordanPeterson where Redditor Zenafiro said, "I feel like Jordan is contradicting his own words and work."

Other Redditors continued to have faith in Peterson but disagreed with his portrayal of his beliefs on Twitter. For instance, Redditor DrMaxCoytus stated, "He needs to get the f*** off Twitter. His wisdom and thinking are never on display there – it's ruining him."

Why Did Jordan Peterson Get Suspended From Twitter?

On June 28th, 2022, Peterson's daughter, Mikhaila Peterson, posted a tweet that shared a screenshot taken by her father on his account. The screenshot showed a Twitter Violation message that was sent to him regarding his Elliot Page QT. Twitter claimed that Peterson was violating its rules on "hateful conduct" and needed to delete the tweet in 12 hours unless he'd face suspension.

What Is Jordan Peterson's "Twitter Ban" YouTube Video?

On July 1st, 2022, Peterson uploaded a video titled, "Twitter Ban" to YouTube, wherein, he outlined his thoughts on the recent controversy. Ultimately, he refused to "back down" to the "woke moralists" who were demanding that he delete the tweet. He took the Twitter ban instead to prove his point on censorship and freedom of speech. One of the video's most viral moments was when he claimed he'd "rather die" than delete the tweet.

What Are Some Jordan Peterson And Elliot Page Memes?

After Peterson posted his "Twitter Ban" video, clips from it have been reposted to Twitter and other social media platforms. For instance, Twitter user @KnowNothingTV started a thread on July 1st, 2022 that led with the caption, "Jordan Peterson posting his Ls." On July 5th, 2022, Twitter user @BradenIsBased tweeted the "Up your's woke moralists" clip and earned roughly 1.1 million views in two days.

I CAN'T BREATHE THIS IS THE FUNNIEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD pic.twitter.com/B3RIrqq2nm

— Braden 🏺 (@BradenIsBased) July 5, 2022

Many meme creators referenced Peterson's point on "rather dying" than deleting the tweet, exploiting templates like Trade Offer and You Took Everything From Me.

What Is Elliot Page's "Deadname?"

Many people online are using the term "deadname" or "deadnaming" to refer to this controversy. "Deadnaming" is when someone uses a transgender person's old name, which in Elliot Page's case is Ellen Page. The practice is seen by many as a form of mockery toward the transgender person.

Memes are being created out of this tension by people that reference more satirical deadnames such as Dwayne Johnson's nickname "The Rock" or calling Vin Diesel by his birth name. All this is an attempt to deflect the overarching tensions of the practice.

It’s “impossible” for our culture to grapple calling Elliot Page by his preferred name and pronouns but we called a man “Meatloaf” for his entire life. https://t.co/7xPuOQ1Ov6

— Paul Sahbaz (@ypsahbaz) July 2, 2022

We literally call an actor the rock with no hesitation and this MF can’t say Elliot Page https://t.co/y1NrFQbQm6

— sam (@epiphanytiff888) July 3, 2022

Were Dave Rubin And Ben Shapiro Suspended From Twitter?

Ben Shapiro has not been suspended from Twitter despite satirical speculation that he might be soon. All Shapiro has done thus far regarding Peterson's Elliot Page tweet is release his own statement via a tweet.

Shapiro does not agree with Twitter's decision to suspend Peterson or Dave Rubin, who was officially suspended after defending Peterson. Many are now speculating that using Page's "deadname" will also automatically result in suspension, however, this has not yet been proven.

If you want to learn more about this controversy, check out our entry on Jordan Peterson here.