Note: In order to counter the false narrative that cancel culture only affects the rich, famous and powerful, and that it's just about "critique" these examples will all be about regular people whose actual livelihoods were targeted.
It's also worth noting that these cases are not about people doing deliberately offensive things. There are no neo-nazis here. They are simply normal people (some even avowedly progressive!) who have incurred the wrath of the mob because they violated the tenets of woke dogma.
- NYU cafeteria employees fired after preparing a menu in honor of "Black History Month" that was deemed racially insensitive.
‘Insensitive’ Black History Month Meal At NYU Sparks Outrage, Firing
https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-black-cooks-fired-nyu-making-racist-meal-paul-bois
- A yoga studio that was so woke they had gender-neutral bathrooms and person-of-color yoga nights where “white friends and allies” were asked to “respectfully refrain from attending” has closed down due to racial accusations.
Kindness Yoga called out: Weakened by coronavirus, 9 studios close after Instagram campaign exposes rift over race
A hashtag led to hundreds of cancellations just as the company was readying to reopen. But some teachers wonder how closing down helps Denver’s yoga community make progress.
https://coloradosun.com/2020/06/29/kindness-yoga-closure-during-black-lives-matter/
- After woman posts a Facebook video explaining why she doesn’t support BLM, she not only lost her job due to a deliberate campaign to have her fired but continued to be targeted afterwards and ended up having her GoFundMe fundaiser removed too.
Activists get Kentucky woman fired from 20-year job after she criticized Black Lives Matter
Instead of debating against points they disagree with, online activists are getting people shut down.
https://reclaimthenet.org/tabitha-morris-cancel-culture/
- This article details the case of a Palestinian business that is wrecked because of some very ugly tweets his daughter wrote seven years prior. Even after firing his daughter, they still kept punishing him.
The CEO of Holy Land Brand that I know doesn’t match the social media monster
Holy Land Brand CEO Majdi Wadi, under fire for his daughter’s racist tweets, is no racist.
https://forward.com/news/national/448382/the-ceo-of-holy-land-hummus-i-know-doesnt-match-the-social-media-monster
- High school teacher fired for admitting that he is against abortion. This admission was made not to promote his personal belief about abortion, but in the context of explaining the difference between people’s private morality and the law.
Christie Blatchford: B.C. teacher fired for having the wrong opinion
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/christie-blatchford-b-c-teacher-fired-for-having-the-wrong-opinion
- Kooks Burritos, a Portland-area pop-up food truck run by two white women was forced to close after hit with public outrage at what some called the restaurant’s “appropriation” of another culture’s “intellectual property.”
A Portland Burrito Cart Shutters After Being Accused of Cultural Appropriation
If you thought the conversation about cultural appropriation in food was over after you were told how to correctly eat a bowl of pho, just look to t...
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-portland-burrito-cart-shutters-after-being-accused_b_59303570e4b042ffa289e7f3
- Nick Buckley was dismissed by the trustees of Mancunian Way, a charity he founded nine years ago, after an online mob accused him of ‘inappropriate’ and ‘insensitive’ views over his criticism of BLM and demanded his removal.
Charity boss is SACKED for criticising Black Lives Matter's agenda
Nick Buckley was dismissed by the trustees of Manchester-based Mancunian Way after an online mob accused him of 'inappropriate' and 'insensitive' views and demanded his removal.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8466913/Award-winning-charity-boss-SACKED-criticising-Black-Lives-Matters-neo-Marxist-agenda.html
You can express your support for him by signing this petition to have him reinstated.
Sign the Petition
Reinstate Nick Buckley as CEO of Mancunian Way charity
https://www.change.org/p/silent-majority-reinstate-nick-buckley-as-ceo-of-mancunian-way-charity
- A progressive data analyst was fired after tweeting a study done by a black scholar which argued that violent protests are not as effective as non-violent ones. He was also kicked off a listserv of professional colleagues amidst charges of racism.
An Elite Progressive LISTSERV Melts Down Over a Bogus Racism Charge
A case study in why the White Fragility rules don’t work.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/06/white-fragility-racism-racism-progressive-progressphiles-david-shor.html
- Mexican-American utility worker fired for unknowingly making a white supremacist hand gesture while driving his truck. He was photographed by a random stranger and then reported to his employer.
SDG&E Worker Fired Over Alleged Racist Gesture Says He Was Cracking Knuckles
It all started about two weeks ago near a Black Lives Matter rally in Poway when Emmanuel Cafferty, a San Diego Gas and Electric employee, encountered a stranger on the roadway. The stranger followed …
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/sdge-worker-fired-over-alleged-racist-gesture-says-he-was-cracking-knuckles/2347414/
- A first person account by @EPoe187, a former tenure-track assistant professor at a small college, of his ordeal being fired for promoting scientifically accepted, but socially controversial, facts about human evolution.
I've Been Fired. If You Value Academic Freedom, That Should Worry You
Orthodoxy whether of the right or of the left is the graveyard of creativity. ~Chinua Achebe Until a week ago, I was a tenure-track assistant professor at a small college. Then I was fired. And altho…
https://quillette.com/2020/03/06/ive-been-fired-if-you-value-academic-freedom-that-should-worry-you/
That's the first ten. There's lots more! Please show this to anyone who is skeptical about CC, anyone who claims it's just a right-wing trope that isn't relevant to everyday people. For every additional thousand people who follow me I will list another ten cases. Spread the word!
Looks like I already almost got 100 people to follow me so here's another one:
recounts how she got kicked out of the theater company that she herself started for writing about transgender issues in a way her peers deemed unacceptable.
Writing for Quillette Ended My Theater Project
It was suggested that I apologize, and that an apology might help. This wasn’t an assurance, but an idea—if I walked back what I had written, there might be a way forward. I looked around the ta…
https://quillette.com/2018/11/20/writing-for-quillette-ended-my-theater-project/
- In response to a student complaint, Doane University in Nebraska suspended a librarian for showcasing an exhibit that included photos of students from a 1926 Halloween party wearing blackface.
Doane U suspends library director over exhibit that included 1920s-era students in blackface
University library exhibit included photos of students from the 1920s in blackface. Now the library director is suspended -- and some of her faculty colleagues say Doane made the wrong call.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/05/06/doane-u-suspends-library-director-over-exhibit-included-1920s-era-students-blackface
- Within hours of the gallery's email announcement promoting the exhibit, there was a backlash, with people alleging that PL had appropriated Indigenous culture and art. The gallery owners felt they had no choice but to cancel the exhibit.
Painter inspired by Indigenous art accused of 'cultural genocide' as gallery cancels show | CBC News
Outrage over a Toronto artist borrowing from the style of an acclaimed Indigenous painter has prompted a gallery to cancel its plans for an upcoming exhibit.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-gallery-indigenous-art-cancels-amandapl-1.4091529
Follow-up to #10: Bo Winegard elaborates a bit on the sorry state of academia and the difficulties so many well-meaning truth-seekers struggle with being a part of that dysfunctional system.
Unroll available on Thread Reader
- One the most progressive performances ever conceived has been cancelled because it is now considered "not inclusive enough". As hard as this may be to believe, this has actually occurred on multiple campuses, as the next few tweets show.
Vagina Monologues canceled due to inclusivity issues
Students said the play lacked inclusivity after a feedback performance in the fall.
https://temple-news.com/vagina-monologues-canceled-due-inclusivity-issues/
- Mount Holyoke College, an all-women’s university in Massachusetts, also cancelled their traditional performance of the play over concerns that the play — long championed for its political correctness — is not politically correct enough.
Holyoke Is Too PC For Vagina Monologues
Mount Holyoke College is not allowing a performance of The Vagina Monologues after complaints it’s transphobic. But when did artistic censorship become a good feminist look?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/holyoke-is-too-pc-for-vagina-monologues
- American University is changing the name (and presumably performance) of its annual Vagina Monologues performance because referencing the female anatomy implies “that in order to be a woman you must have a vagina.”
AU revamps Vagina Monologues to avoid 'gender binary'
0
https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=8290
- EMU's Women's Resource Center also decided that it is cancelling their yearly performance of "The Vagina Monologues," noting that the play's version of feminism excludes some women. The WRC made this decision based on responses from a survey.
EMU group ends 'The Vagina Monologues,' citing exclusion of some women
Eastern Michigan University's Women's Resource Center will no longer host productions of "The Vagina Monologues," noting that the play's version of feminism excludes some women.
https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2018/11/emu_group_ends_the_vagina_mono.html
- WaPo reports on a 2-year-old incident where someone with no platform or influence wore blackface (under the guise of mocking Megyn Kelly), resulting in her getting fired. “We blew up this woman’s life for no reason.” Cancel culture is the reason.
Why Did the Washington Post Get This Woman Fired?
The respected newspaper outed and shamed a private citizen for past offensive behavior. But did anyone even want this?
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/06/why-did-the-washington-post-get-this-woman-fired.html
- This first person account by @SwipeWright of his academic cancelling is worth paying attention to. Reputational smears, job market sabotage, lies, etc. Brutal. Follow him for thoughtful insights and smart analysis of scientific subjects.
Unroll available on Thread Reader
While on the subject, I also recommend reading this thread from @SwipeWright on the topic of cancel culture and academia.
Unroll available on Thread Reader
Also figured I'd link to one of his articles:
The New Evolution Deniers
Evolutionary biology has always been controversial. Not controversial among biologists, but controversial among the general public. This is largely because Darwin’s theory directly contradicted the su…
https://quillette.com/2018/11/30/the-new-evolution-deniers/
- A prominent composer's performances were cancelled from a music festival (and her merch removed) bec she gave a talk that referred to certain musical compositions by their actual names - compositions which deliberately had the 'n-word' in the title.
Publicly Shaming a Musician for Calling a Composition by Its Name
Over the long weekend of May 30 to June 2, my wife and I attended the eclectic OBEY music convention in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which I was covering for the British magazine The Wire. After the first tw…
https://quillette.com/2019/06/27/publicly-shaming-a-musician-for-calling-a-composition-by-its-name/
Also worth linking to this first-person account of the incident in the previous tweet. Thanks to @SecularSaulsa for bringing it to my attention.
How to Talk About History? A Spurned Speaker Wonders How to Handle Incendiary Titles by Composer Julius Eastman
After a lecture on a provocative minimalist musician, Mary Jane Leach was banished for citing language of the artist’s own.
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/julius-eastman-incendiary-titles-13168/
- If you looked at the details of #19, Colin Wright mentions that he got in trouble for tweeting about Lisa Littman's work. This article explores about the controversy around Dr. Littman's paper, and the unfair treatment she was subjected to.
As a Former Dean of Harvard Medical School, I Question Brown’s Failure to Defend Lisa Littman
This week’s controversy surrounding an academic paper on gender dysphoria published by Brown University assistant professor Lisa Littman—brought on by the post-publication questioning of Dr Littman’s …
https://quillette.com/2018/08/31/as-a-former-dean-of-harvard-medical-school-i-question-browns-failure-to-defend-lisa-littman/
- A Vermont principal was promptly fired for expressing disagreement with aspects of Black Lives Matter.
Windsor principal on leave after Black Lives Matter comments stir controversy - VTDigger
The school board placed Tiffany Riley on leave after a Facebook post about the Black Lives Matter movement.
https://vtdigger.org/2020/06/14/windsor-principal-on-leave-after-black-lives-matter-comments-stir-controversy/
- Guy posts a playful ad for a new cafeteria worker full of sarcastic jokes, and one of his lines is "I need a new slave to boss around." Cue the outrage in 1, 2, 3......Fired!😩
Head of Ontario university cafe fired over jokey help-wanted ad seeking ‘slave’
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/head-of-ontario-university-cafe-fired-over-joke-help-wanted-ad-seeking-slave/
Related to #21, this book excerpt was just published. "Activists denounced her to her employer claiming she had written a paper "harmful" to transgender youth. They demanded that her employer, the DOH, terminate its relationship with Littman immediately.”
Discovering the Link Between Gender Identity and Peer Contagion
The following is excerpted, with permission, from Abigail Shrier’s newly published book, Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, Regnery Publishing (June 30, 2020) 276…
https://quillette.com/2020/07/08/discovering-the-link-between-gender-identity-and-peer-contagion/
- The group “Friends of Ascend” initiated a petition titled “Hold the CEO of Ascend Public Charter Schools Accountable for White Supremacist Rhetoric.” More than 500 signed it, and out Wilson went from the school he founded 10 years ago.
The Show-Trial Rhetoric That Took Down a Charter-School Founder
A petition accusing Steven Wilson of “white supremacist” language makes no sense, and barely tries to.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/11/ascend-charter-school-petition/601696/
- An NYU prof crusading against political correctness was booted from his classroom after his colleagues complained about his “incivility.” He chose to be anonymous, he explained, "because he was afraid the PC Gestapo would ruin me..."
Professor who tweeted against PC culture is out at NYU
An NYU professor crusading against political correctness and student coddling was booted from the classroom last week after his colleagues complained about his “incivility,” The Post has learned. L…
https://nypost.com/2016/10/30/nyu-professor-who-opposed-pc-culture-gets-booted-from-classroom/
- Another professor out. What was the offense? She made the mistake of using the n-word—during a discussion in which she was admitting her own shortcomings about race. She didn’t use the word maliciously: She was, quite literally, checking her privilege.
PC Hysteria Claims Another Professor
A University of Kansas professor was turned in by her students after using the ‘n-word’ in class to discuss her own white privilege.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/pc-hysteria-claims-another-professor
- "In most respects, Schwarz was a model RA. But according to her review, her zeal for wide-ranging debate on subjects like diversity and social justice called into question whether she could be trusted to behave like a good social justice advocate."
Residential Advisor Loses Job Because She Didn't 'Demonstrate a Commitment to Social Justice'
She liked to 'play devil's advocate.' That was a bad thing.
https://reason.com/2017/02/08/residential-advisor-loses-job-because-sh/
- Well before "cancel culture" was a commonly used term, in 2013 this poor woman's life was turned upside down over an "offensive" joke that wasn't even being interpreted in good faith. Back then I think it was known as "outrage culture".
How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life (Published 2015)
The unique 21st-century misery of the online shaming victim.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/magazine/how-one-stupid-tweet-ruined-justine-saccos-life.html
This was the incident that crystallized for me that this social justice movement, which was ostensibly about making the world a better place, was really actually about something else entirely. So many social justice call-outs since then have only reinforced that feeling.
- Another oldie,from 2015: Gay people were never discriminated at their shop. But bec she said they wouldn't cater a hypothetical gay wedding (that would never actually happen in real life) the mob hit them with such an onslaught they had to shut down.
Burn Her! She Would Act Like a Witch in a Situation That Will Never Come Up!
The anti-pizzeria mob loses its mind
https://reason.com/2015/04/02/burn-her-she-would-act-like-a-witch-in-a/
Follow-up: It was pointed out to me that #25 is not an accurate story. He was not put on leave for the reasons stated in the article. However, it's not inaccurate that he was indeed censured by a diversity committee for his views. See here: nyunews.com/2016/10/26/let… @JeffreyASachs
Letter to the Editor: Liberal Studies Rejects 
In “Q&A with Deplorable NYU Professor,” Liberal Studies Clinical Assistant Professor Michael Rectenwald states the following in response to a request to talk about his thoughts on diversity: “A cis, w…
https://nyunews.com/2016/10/26/letter-to-the-editor-liberal-studies-rejects-antipcnyuprofs-faulty-claims/
- For writing a polite email that suggested the school shouldn't be policing their student's Halloween costumes, students demanded the head of @ErikaChristakis and @NAChristakis on a pike. He stepped down from his post (but not his teaching) as a result.
Yale Students Demand Resignations from Faculty Members Over Halloween Email - FIRE
Tensions at Yale University hit a boiling point yesterday after an email about Halloween costumes created a week-long controversy on campus.
https://www.thefire.org/yale-students-demand-resignations-from-faculty-members-over-halloween-email/
Another well-written article on that Yale incident: theatlantic.com/politics/archi…. Side note: @NAChristakis has been one of the leading figures on Twitter (and elsewhere) in regards to talking about, and explaining, COVID-19 issues. Very much worth following.
The Perils of Writing a Provocative Email at Yale
Nicholas and Erika Christakis stepped down from their positions in residential life months after student activists called for their dismissal over a Halloween kerfuffle.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/the-peril-of-writing-a-provocative-email-at-yale/484418/
Here's a video of Dr. Christakis engaging with the students at Yale, patiently trying to have a productive conversation on the issue. It doesn't go so well. See the student meltdown at 10:30, for instance, or the confrontation at 13:45.
- NASCAR driver loses sponsorship for something offensive that was said, but he didn't even say it, his father did! And it was said 30 years prior, before he was even born. And his father didn't even intend it to be offensive. None of that matters.
Conor Daly Loses Nascar Sponsorship Over Father’s Racial Slur (Published 2018)
Lilly Diabetes pulled the sponsorship, citing a slur made on the radio in the 1980s by Daly’s father, Derek, a driver who became a racing analyst.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/24/sports/autoracing/conor-daly-nascar-racial-slur.html
For those curious about what exactly he said in 1985 that justifies him (and his son) being fired 33 years later, here's the details: (from indystar.com/story/sports/m…)
Image
Derek Daly admits to using racial slur — but says it wasn't in interview with Bob Lamey
Derek Daly: "The slanderous statements made by Bob, and now being attributed to me, are not only factually incorrect, but offensive."
https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2018/08/23/derek-daly-says-he-slandered-bob-lamey/1076377002/
- Guy makes a mildly inappropriate joke to his buddy while at a conference. Woman sitting nearby overhears it, gets offended, posts about it online. They get kicked out of the conference and shortly afterwards the guy is fired. Then she gets fired too!
A Dongle Joke That Spiraled Way Out Of Control – TechCrunch
In an age of blogs, tweets, Hacker News, Reddit and Anonymous, an off-the-cuff joke can spin wildly out of control. At least it appears that’s what happened with PyCon this week when a sexual joke led…
https://techcrunch.com/2013/03/21/a-dongle-joke-that-spiraled-way-out-of-control/
- "The Google Memo". It's actually hard to find an article that fairly documents this atrocious debacle. Almost all are unfairly biased against Damore. This is the incident in his own words. tl;dr: They asked for feedback. He gave it. He was fired.
Why I Was Fired by Google
James Damore says his good-faith effort to discuss differences between men and women in tech couldn’t be tolerated in the company’s “ideological echo chamber.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-i-was-fired-by-google-1502481290
This Atlantic article details just how misrepresentative the vast majority of the coverage was of this incident. A guy who sincerely meant to help get more women in tech and increase diversity was smeared as a sexist, anti-diversity troll.
The Most Common Error in Media Coverage of the Google Memo
Many headlines labeled the document “anti-diversity,” misleading readers about its actual contents.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/the-most-common-error-in-coverage-of-the-google-memo/536181/
And for those misinformed folk who will insist that the memo's ideas were based on unsound pseudoscience, here's a few experts in the field who mostly agree with his presentation of the science. quillette.com/2017/08/07/goo… and
The Google Memo: Four Scientists Respond
Lee Jussim Professor Lee Jussim Lee Jussim is a professor of social psychology at Rutgers University and was a Fellow and Consulting Scholar at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Science…
https://quillette.com/2017/08/07/google-memo-four-scientists-respond/
The Google Memo: Race and Gender Gaps and their Solutions
The Science Hardly Matters
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/rabble-rouser/201708/the-google-memo-race-and-gender-gaps-and-their-solutions
I'm going to shift the focus a bit now and highlight examples of cancellation within the literary industry. Before I get into specific cases, I highly recommend reading this overview to the topic, by 
The Toxic Drama on YA Twitter
Young-adult books are being targeted in intense social-media callouts, draggings, and pile-ons — sometimes before anybody’s even read them.
https://www.vulture.com/2017/08/the-toxic-drama-of-ya-twitter.html
This article by 
YA Twitter's Victims And Critics Speak Out, Part 1
“They keep screenshots of conversations just in case they ever need to publicly destroy someone.”
https://jessesingal.substack.com/p/ya-twitters-victims-and-critics-speak
- Fantasy book "Ember Days" cancelled by author after accusations arose against her that as a white woman she shouldn't be writing a novel about other cultures. Keep in mind, this author is EXTREMELY woke herself, and she still wasn't good enough!
Bethany C Morrow Gets YA Novel Cancelled
UPDATE: There have been some minor developments in this story, and I cleaned up the language for my Freepers. Also, I had forgotten an archive link, so I added it. Another day, another cancellati…
http://elainemarias.com/2020/06/26/bethany-c-morrow-gets-ya-novel-cancelled/
Also related to that story, see this:
- Another title, written by a progressive writer that was trying to tell a story sympathetic to immigrants and Muslims, faced a massive backlash because the story is centered around a white character who doesn't overcome her racism fast enough.
YA Novel About “Mob Mentalities” Punished After Online Backlash
“Sensitivity reads” from Muslims, immigrants, and others weren’t enough to save American Heart from "white savior" backlash.
https://slate.com/culture/2017/10/kirkus-withdraws-starred-review-after-criticism.html
- This one sounds like poetic justice, but it's still pretty disturbing. An author, who himself was involved in getting other author's cancelled, has his own book cancelled for not being sufficiently attuned to the sensitivities of the woke mob.
A YA “Sensitivity Reader” Had to Pull His Own Book After Twitter Turned on It
Kosoko Jackson pulled his own book after a swift uproar.
https://slate.com/culture/2019/03/ya-book-scandal-kosoko-jackson-a-place-for-wolves-explained.html
- A Chinese author of a fantasy novel about a fictional world where "oppression is blind to skin color" withdraws her book amidst allegations of "internalized racism and anti-blackness". (It was subsequently rewritten and published.)
Cowed by the culture cops
Online mobs are attacking the authors of young adult fiction for daring to imagine lives different from their own. Now publishers are canceling releases and new voices are being silenced.
https://theweek.com/articles/845769/cowed-by-culture-cops
- Another progressive author whose story was meant to be about "how privilege allows us to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others" was taken to task for supposedly racist depictions. She withdrew the book and rewrote it. washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/…
- They were fine with his book until it started getting blowback online, at which point the publisher said that because it supposedly “perpetuates harmful narratives regarding Muslims that we cannot support" they withdrew it.
He wrote a novel about an imagined Iranian attack on Israel. Then the publisher withdrew it. - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Hesh Kestin says there's nothing Islamophobic about his book in which six Muslim countries prepare to kill 6 million Jews.
https://www.jta.org/2019/05/13/culture/he-wrote-a-book-about-an-imagined-iranian-attack-on-israel-then-the-publisher-withdrew-it
- Another author criticized for cultural appropriation and accused of misrepresenting Navajo teachings and not respecting Navajo sensibilities. (Important to note that in this case, despite the criticism, the book was not withdrawn.)
'The Elizabeth Warren of the sci-fi set': Author faces criticism for repeated use of tribal traditions
A popular author is facing renewed accusations of cultural appropriation after repeatedly using tribal stories and traditions without consent.
https://www.indianz.com/News/2020/06/24/the-elizabeth-warren-of-the-scifi-set-au.asp
- The publisher canceled the book tour owing to physical threats against the author as well as bookstores where her events would be held; some events were even repurposed as “town halls” to discuss the brouhaha.
Ridiculous attacks on ‘American Dirt’ are fresh reason to nix ‘cancel culture’
“American Dirt,” published last week, is a fast-paced novel about a mother-and-son pair of migrants on the run from murderous drug lords. It has received glowing praise from some of America’s…
https://nypost.com/2020/02/02/ridiculous-attacks-on-american-dirt-are-fresh-reason-to-nix-cancel-culture/
I think it's really important to note that these authors who are the target of these campaigns are for the most part extremely progressive. Their books are meant to provide a sympathetic portrayal of minorities/immigrants and shine a light on oppression, racism, discrimination.
They themselves are often even minorities. They are trying to be good liberals and support the cause. These are not bigots, racists, or even (god forbid!) conservatives. And yet, they could not escape the mob of social justice inquisitors who deem them sinners.
- This very long blog post details some more of the outrageously chilling environment that is the progressive literary establishment.
Book Twitter is a Cancel-Culture Nightmare · bibliocentrist
Twitter is not a happy place to begin with, but Book Twitter gives “toxic” a whole new meaning.
https://www.bibliocentrist.com/posts/book-twitter-cancel-culture/
One story in this article is about a literary agent who tweeted about a gas station near her house that was being looted, so she was going to call the police. People objected to her doing that. She pushed back. The ensuing argument escalated so bad that it destroyed her business.
Image
Image
- This is an archived page of a small publishing house whose site is gone. Seems there was some argument online, that the owner said some nasty things and it escalated, and now it's as if they never existed. I can't find any more info on what happened. archive.is/jQdbA
- A bookstore with a long standing policy of staying out of politics got in trouble for their silence. Employees quit their jobs, book events were canceled and partnerships were severed over their refusal to speak up for racial justice.
Denver’s Writing Community and Beyond Has Created a List of Actions to Push Tattered Cover To Become More Inclusive - 303 Magazine
Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, The Word, Black Lives Matter movement, marginalized groups, literary community, press relases, action, bookstore chain
https://303magazine.com/2020/06/the-word-open-letter-demands-tattered-cover/
- The poem "caused harm to members of several communities." As with so many of these cases, the target isn't an actual bigot but a sensitive progressive who is simply unaware of the ever evolving rules of what's deemed acceptable to the wokescolds.
The Nation Apologies for Publishing an 'Ableist' Poem
"Caused harm to members of several communities"
https://reason.com/2018/07/31/the-nation-ableist-poem-carlson-wee/
The funniest part of this incident is that after apologizing for the poem using "ableist" language he was then reprimanded for his apology too, since his use of the term "eye-opening" is insensitive to blind people.
- After writing a poem about Donald Trump that not only did not condemn him outright, but actually humanized him, she said, “I have never experienced such intense and constant hate aimed at me, my family, my race/religion/you name it, in my entire life.” quillette.com/2019/02/14/poe…
Image
Image
Image
Poetic Injustice and Performative Outrage
On February 13, after almost a two month delay due to the U.S. government shutdown, the National Endowment for the Arts finally announced its recipients for the 2019 Creative Writing Fellowship in poe…
https://quillette.com/2019/02/14/poetic-injustice-and-performative-outrage/
- After publicly supporting a feminist who was being silenced, a very pro-LGBT Canadian literary editor found himself out of a job. Why? The woman he had supported was accused of being a transphobe, and his support for her upset his bosses.
Canadian literary editor fired after supporting free speech - The Post Millennial
Literary editor Will Johnson was fired from his position at the Humber Literature Review for supporting Meghan Murphy’s right to freedom of speech.
https://thepostmillennial.com/canadian-literary-editor-fired-after-supporting-free-speech/
- A popular children's author tweeted #IStandWithJKRowling. The result? A torrent of criticism online and emails to her employer calling for her to be fired. The publisher eventually caved to the mob and cut ties with her.
insider.com/gillian-philip…
Image
A best-selling children's author was sacked by her publishers after tweeting her support for JK Rowling
Gillian Philip tweeted "#ISTANDWITHROWLING" while Rowling has once again stoked the flames of an ongoing trans rights row.
https://www.insider.com/gillian-philip-childrens-author-sacked-tweeting-support-jk-rowling-2020-7
- Another progressive writer pilloried for having the temerity to write about an indigenous culture. Even after doing everything imaginable to be sensitive to cultural concerns, she was still subject to a barrage of criticism accusing her of racist sins. quillette.com/2018/01/10/can…
Image
Image
Image
Image
"Canada Has Gone Mad": Indigenous Representation and the Hounding of Angie Abdou
Late last year, I wrote an essay for Quillette describing how the fight against cultural appropriation had suddenly gone viral in Canada—particularly regarding stories about indigenous peoples. The is…
https://quillette.com/2018/01/10/canada-gone-mad-indigenous-representation-hounding-angie-abdou/
- When the editor of a magazine for writer's tried to defend the idea of authors writing about cultures and experiences different from their own, it elicited so much outrage, he was tarred as a racist and promptly fired. Oops, I mean he "resigned".
'I invoked cultural appropriation in the context of literature and writing only': Hal Niedzviecki | CBC Radio
Writer Hal Niedzviecki regrets using the term "cultural appropriation" in a recent column but says writers shouldn't limit themselves to what they know.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-may-15-2017-1.4112604/i-invoked-cultural-appropriation-in-the-context-of-literature-and-writing-only-hal-niedzviecki-1.4112618
- Ironically, one of the main instigators of the cancellation of the prior incident has now been cancelled herself! It's like a circular firing squad.
The Mob That Came After Me Is Turning on Itself. When Will This End? Who Does This Help?
I am in my third year of excommunication from Canadian culture. In the spring of 2017, I wrote a magazine article that my accusers claimed had flippantly dismissed the concept of cultural appropriatio…
https://quillette.com/2020/06/27/the-mob-that-came-after-me-is-turning-on-itself-when-will-this-end-who-does-this-help/
Before moving on to other areas of cancel culture, just want to share this article by
Image
Image
Image
Image
What Is #OwnVoices Doing To Our Books?
The #OwnVoices movement was supposed to improve diversity within the publishing industry — but it's spiraled into something that some call censorship.
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/04/228847/own-voices-movement-ya-literature-impact
- Elsewhere in the arts, a white conductor made a joke to his black friend, in which he imitated a southern American accent. A woman overheard it, felt it was racist, and reported it to the authorities. Fired! Black friend insists they have it all wrong. telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/0…
Image
British conductor sacked by US music festival after 'innocent' joke with his African-American friend was labelled racist
An acclaimed British conductor has been fired from a prestigious American music festival after a seemingly innocent joke he made to a black friend was labelled racist.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/09/british-conductor-sacked-us-music-festival-joke-labelled-racist/
Related: NY Times writer 
Image
Image
Resignation Letter — Bari Weiss
https://www.bariweiss.com/resignation-letter
- Even obscure academic fields are affected. She challenged SJ propaganda at a meeting of the Society for Classical Studies and defended Western Civ, and was subsequently forbidden from attending the rest of the conference, and lost a gig as a result. quillette.com/2019/02/26/how…
Image
Image
Image
Image
How I was Kicked Out of the Society for Classical Studies Annual Meeting
I am a Classics Ph.D. who recently attended the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society for Classical Studies (SCS—formerly the American Philological Association), a yearly conference that provides papers …
https://quillette.com/2019/02/26/how-i-was-kicked-out-of-the-society-for-classical-studies-annual-meeting/
The video for the above incident (and the whole panel it describes) is here. The specific incident takes place at 45:00
- Even the seemingly safe hobby of knitting has been roiled by cancel culture. A truly innocent blog post caused a firestorm of criticism with accusations of racism, and another knitter who disagreed with the mob had her store boycotted. quillette.com/2019/02/17/a-w…
Image
Image
Image
Image
A Witch-Hunt on Instagram
“Knitting is just so white. Let’s hope it gets better.” I overheard this puzzling remark in my local yarn store in Edinburgh, Scotland, last week. The store is in the affluent area of Marchmont, just …
https://quillette.com/2019/02/17/a-witch-hunt-on-instagram/
- Knitting Wars, Part 2: For the heinous crime of not speaking up about the scourge of whiteness in the knitting community, a disabled knitter's store was boycotted. When she did finally speak up her statement was denounced as “very harmful”. quillette.com/2019/06/07/ins…
Image
Instagram's Diversity Wars Revisited
In February, I wrote an essay for Quillette about the Durkheimian witch-hunting taking place on the picture-sharing platform Instagram, and how it was affecting the thousands of knitters, designers, a…
https://quillette.com/2019/06/07/instagrams-diversity-wars-revisited/
- A yarn store was targeted for the grievous sin of giving a line of yarns a name that would reflect their concern for others. Their “Inclusivity” colourway was white, beige, brown, and black to reflect various skin tones, but it was pulled from sale after furious protests.
Image
Image - There's even a blacklist being compiled of knitting related business that don't measure up to the woke standards of anti-racist activism.
Image - SJ Knitting, Part 3: After a gay knitter wrote a satirical poem suggesting that all the recent anti-racism mobbings might be having a toxic effect on the community, and pleaded for tensions to cool, the mob went after him and his supporters.
quillette.com/2019/07/28/kni…
Image
Image
Knitting's Infinity War, Part III: Showdown at Yarningham
This is my third report for Quillette on the shockingly vicious social-media wars that have erupted in the world of knitting. My first, written in February, described how knitters’ blogs and Instagram…
https://quillette.com/2019/07/28/knittings-infinity-war-part-iii-showdown-at-yarningham/
But things only got much worse. The online attacks aimed at Taylor were so virulent that he ended up suffering a nervous breakdown, was hospitalized as a result, and was even put on suicide watch.
Image
- A gaming studio community manager said that he thinks people should have the right to express bigotry in the privacy of their own home w/o being punished. For expressing this outrageous view supporting free speech and privacy, he was promptly fired. archive.vn/q8RTp
Image - A Jewish progressive with Holocaust survivors in his family was accused of being a racist, fascist, Nazi apologist and faced calls for boycotts because of an argument over an ironic t-shirt at his flea market. Written by podcaster
. 😉
thestranger.com/slog/2017/12/1…