Professor's Pronoun Preference Sparks Controversy

0:00On April 7, an assistant professor of queer studies at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan is stirring debate by asking folks to refer to him. As Jay Wallace-Skelton, instead of using third-person pronouns, he spells the name all lower case, has a Ph.D. in education, and teaches classes pushing beyond gender binaries. Skelton joined the faculty in 2022, and focuses his work on creating spaces for queer and trans youth. He mentions giving birth to three non-binary children, and shares views that education is inherently political, challenging ideas of keeping politics out of schools. Online backlash exploded after a post-highlighted his name preference on ex, with users slamming it as extreme in questioning his mental state or motives. Critics see it as a push too far in progressive academia, especially given his appearance in family setup. He's been married over 15 years to author S. Bear Bergman, who speaks on gender topics and charges up to $7,000 per event.

1:00Skelton's thesis dives into desires of LGBTQ, kids and their parents in education, describing his own background as white, Jewish, and fat. The Firestorm shows no signs of cooling, highlighting tensions around identity, pronouns, and what's acceptable in higher ed circles.