honorary members
Our club is very honoured to have hosted and have the support of the following public intellectuals/pundits.
Dr. jordan b. peterson
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson is a clinical psychologist, cultural critic, former Harvard Professor, and currently a professor at the University of Toronto. His main areas of study are the psychology of religion and ideological belief, and the assessment and improvement of personality and performance.
Dr. Peterson has published over one hundred scientific papers, as well as authored MAPS OF MEANING: THE ARCHITECTURE OF BELIEF, and the bestselling 12 RULES FOR LIFE: AN ANTIDOTE TO CHAOS.
The Free Speech Club has hosted Dr. Peterson five times.
YASMINE MOHAMMED
Canadian human rights activist, Yasmine Mohammed, advocates for the rights of women living within Islamic majority countries, as well as those who struggle under religious fundamentalism. She is also the founder of Free Hearts Free Minds, an organization that provides psychological support for ex-Muslims living within Muslim majority countries- where the state sanctioned punishment for leaving Islam is death.
Yasmine is a member of the prestigious Center for Inquiry (CFI) Speaker’s Bureau. She is also on the Board of Advisors for The Brighter Brains Institute, an organization that builds secular schools. She has spoken in Canadian parliament on M103 and ‘Islamophobia’ and has been featured in national publications such as: US News The National Post, The Daily Mail, and The Mirror.
She has been invited to speak in Ivy League universities and world-renowned venues for many organizations including: The Freedom From Religion Foundation, Ayaan Hirsi Ali Foundation, Ayn Rand Institute, and Think Inc.
Yasmine just recently premiered her memoir; Unveiled, recalling her experiences growing up in a fundamentalist Islamic household, her arranged marriage to a member of Al-Qaeda, and shedding light on the religious trauma that so many women still today are unable to discuss.
Our event with Yasmine was her official book launch!
"Yasmine is one of the bravest people of our time. She is a shining example to all of us."
- Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Owen benjamin
Comedian and actor Owen Benjamin is a master of musical comedy, consistently cracking up ticket buyers with a hilarious blend of stand-up and gut-busting improvised musical numbers. At his live shows Benjamin takes cues from the crowd, peppering his routine with side-splitting, spontaneous ditties about people in the audience. The good-natured ribbing is tailored to every crowd, making for a unique and dynamic comedy experience.
Benjamin cites Adam Sandler and Vince Vaughn as being comedy influences.
His comedy is strongly influenced by, and criticized because of, his conservative social and political views. His main gripe is political correctness, often being intentionally offensive in order to mock those who would police his speech.
The Free Speech Club welcomes Owen as an honorary member who is a fierce defender of free speech.
mark hughes
Mark uses his sardonic wit and fearless stage presence to share (and overshare) his perspective and life experiences - including the demons that sometimes still affect him to this day.
In substance abuse recovery since 2006, recovery shows are where Mark really shines. He first discovered his knack for the comedic absurd as a guest speaker at 12-Step meetings, conventions, and round ups, and is now in demand at these same events as a bona fide recovery comedian all over B.C. and the Prairies. He is instantly at home in front of recovery audiences, and because of his experience as both an active and clean/sober addict, he knows just where to poke. “It’s like telling jokes to your friends,” he says, “which is easy when all your friends were drunks and addicts - this stuff writes itself.”
Mark is a regular comic in the Free Speech Club.
ben shapiro
Ben Shapiro is editor-in-chief of The Daily Wire and host of "The Ben Shapiro Show," the top conservative podcast in the nation. Shapiro is the author of seven nonfiction books, including:
The New York Times bestseller Bullies: How the Left’s Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences America and national bestsellers Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America’s Youth, Porn Generation: How Social Liberalism Is Corrupting Our Future, and Project President: Bad Hair and Botox on the Road to the White House.
Since he began writing his first book, Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America’s Youth, Shapiro has frequently addressed the issue of the Left’s ideological stranglehold on academia and has worked to push back against that trend through fact and logic-based speeches and debates. “Facts don’t care about your feelings,” has become one of Ben Shapiro’s trademark lines. He has appeared as the featured speaker at many conservative events on campuses nationwide, several of those appearances targeted by progressive and “Antifa” activists. Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew, has also worked to expose the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic motivations behind the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
The Free Speech Club hosted Shapiro in what is as of January, 2019, our largest event ever.
Jonathan pageau
Jonathan Pageau carves Eastern Orthodox Icons and other traditional Christian images in wood and stone. He has received commissions for churches and individuals from all continents. The rich visual, liturgical and theological heritage found in traditional carving -from Byzantine ivories to Celtic crosses to Romanesque capitals- is inexhaustible.
Jonathan also has his own YouTube channel where he symbolically analyzes art and the world.
The Free Speech Club co-hosted Jonathan in 2017 with SFL.
Danny polishchuk
Danny Polishchuk is Toronto-based writer, actor, comedian, filmmaker and social media influencer who has appeared on stages and screens across North America. A prolific creator, Danny recently made his silver screen debut as the writer and star of the acclaimed action/comedy feature Filth City and has earned himself a Canadian Comedy Award Nomination for Best Writing in a Series in 2015 and Best Short Film in 2016. As well, the digital series he contributed on as a writer, 'True Dating Stories ', that he contributed to as a writer was nominated for 2 Canadian Screen Awards in 2017.
As a stand up, Danny’s unique brand of comedy has landed him performances in festivals, comedy clubs, and competitions across Canada. He was a two-time semi-finalist in XM Radio’s Top Comic , and has appeared in JFL42, NXNE, Canadian Music Week, The North Bay Comedy Festival and more. This year will also mark his first standup album release.
The Free Speech Club hosted Danny in early 2018.
dr. stephen hicks
Dr. Stephen Hicks, a recognized expert on postmodernism and author of Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault. His analysis of the subject has personally inspired other figures such as Dr. Jordan Peterson.
The Free Speech hosted Dr. Hicks in 2018 in a lecture where every attendee received a free signed copy of his book.
Dr. bret weinstein
Bret Weinstein is an American biologist and evolutionary theorist. Weinstein spent the majority of his academic career as a professor of Biology at Evergreen State College in Washington. In 2002, he published The Reserve-Capacity Hypothesis, which proposed that the telomeric differences between humans and laboratory mice have led scientists to underestimate the risks new drugs pose to humans in the form of heart disease, liver dysfunction and related organ failure
Weinstein first experienced notoriety when he became the focus of a campus protest at Evergreen State College, where he was teaching biology. His involvement began when he wrote a letter to Evergreen faculty in March of 2017. His letter objected to a change in the College's decades-old tradition of observing a "Day of Absence" during which students and faculty of a minority race would stay home from campus to highlight their contributions to the College. The announced change would flip the traditional event, asking white students and faculty to stay home. Weinstein's letter strongly opposed and criticized the change. In late May 2017, student protests—focusing in large part on the comments made by Weinstein—disrupted the campus and called for a number of changes to the college. The College's president refused to allow law enforcement to quell protesters. Campus police told Weinstein that they could not protect him and encouraged him to stay off campus, which caused Weinstein to hold his biology class in a public park. In September of 2017, a settlement was reached in which Weinstein and his wife, professor Heather Heying, resigned and received $500,000.
The Free Speech co-hosted Dr. Weinstein in 2017 with SFL.
morris bartlett
Morris Bartlett is a hilarious comedian who draws from wide experiences including the army, marriage, subsequent dating, and other hallmarks of an interesting life. He delivers great shows in venues including company Christmas parties, house parties, and any gathering from 10-200 people. He's friendly, opinionated, has a strong stage presence and is just as capable an MC as he is a comedian.
Morris is a regular comic in the Free Speech Club.