Jonathan Kay
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@quillette editor/writer/podcaster. Author. Advisor @fairforall_org & @FSU_Canada Ex-tax-lawyer -engineer -coder. Disc golf, 3D-printing, boardgames, baseball
Articles by Jonathan Kay
Canada’s Unmarked-Graves Social Panic (2021–26): A Primer for Foreign Scholars
The text that follows is adapted from a September 23 speech delivered by the author in Laramie, WY, at an event hosted by the University of Wyoming chapter of Heterodox Academy. The first thing I want to do is show you a video from 31 May 2021, featuring former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau speaking to a national television audience. 0:00 /0:23 As you just heard, he spoke of “the heartbreaking news that 215 children were found buried at the former Kamloops residential school. 215 children.
After the Sublime
Ancient Egyptians believed that the sun was a golden barge piloted by the god Ra. Each day, he traversed the twelve regions of the daylight sky, casting light upon the banks of the Nile and the sands of the Western Desert; each evening, he descended below the horizon to travel back through the underworld to the region of the dawn.
Measuring the Economic Cost of Affirmative Action in Academia
In April, Memorial University—the only university in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador—posted five job openings for prestigious Canada Research Chair (CRC) professorships. In all five cases, it was specified explicitly that able-bodied white men need not apply.
Covering the Culture Wars
This week, my guest is what might be called an ideal Quillette thinker. And by that I mean someone who started out on one side of the left-right culture war, got exasperated by all the intellectual dishonesty he saw within his or her ideological tribe, and then drifted more toward centrist classical liberalism, all the while taking a scientifically rigorous approach to each issue. This anti-tribal approach to policy and politics can be a lonely affair.
Women’s Sport or ‘Transformational’ Activism: It Can’t Be Both
Earlier this month, the Women's National Basketball Players Association put out a statement to address unanswered questions about the participation of biologically male players in the WNBA. As one might have expected, it consisted mostly of bromides about “justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion” (good); and “hate, abuse…fear, division, and harm” (bad).
No, the Media Isn’t Responsible for Jason Arday’s Suicide
No true culture warrior worth his salt admits to reading The New York Times. Very Online conservatives refuse to read it because they think it hates Jews. Very Online progressives refuse to read it because they think it hates trans people. So intense is their loathing, it seems, that some of these hashtaggers cannot even tolerate the company of those who do read the Times. This includes one @claireyfaerie, who recently told Bluesky followers: “My parents have a [New York Times] subscription.
Like Odysseus. But Real
The blockbuster success of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has led to a massive spike in demand for Homer’s original text. At one Brooklyn book store visited by a Guardian reporter, more than a dozen different editions of the Odyssey were on prominent display.
The ‘Sex Recession’ is Real
This week marks a special occasion for me because my guest is the person who helped me start my career in podcasting almost a decade ago. I’m guessing a lot of you don’t know this, but before I came to Quillette, I spent a few years co-hosting a Canadian show called WrongSpeak, which turned out to be a sort of early training ground for the kind of classically liberal and science-based material I ended up covering here at Quillette. Watch the interview here.
They See Dead People
I’ve often used the term “social panic” to describe the unmarked-graves claims that swept through Canada in 2021. For reasons described below, the term feels inadequate.
How Canada Jumped the Rails on ’Gender-Affirming Care’: A Quillette Investigation
On May 12, I published a Quillette essay criticizing the Canadian Paediatric Society’s ongoing advocacy of “gender-affirming care” for transgender-identified minors.
The Great Canadian Unmarked-Graves Social Panic (2021–2026)
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How About We Just Play Baseball?
Anthony Bass pitched in the major leagues for more than a decade, appearing in almost 400 games with seven different teams—including two stints with my own beloved Toronto Blue Jays. He had a great year in 2022. But otherwise, the right-handed reliever was your basic journeyman. The way his career ended was not so basic, however.
The Last Canadian Politician I’d Trust to Police the Internet
Justin Trudeau’s nine-year tenure as Canadian prime minister, which ended when his own Liberal caucus tossed him overboard in late 2024, can be divided thematically into two distinct periods. During the mid-to-late 2010s, he presented himself as a sunny Canadian patriot.
Preventing Canada’s Next Unmarked-Graves-Style Social Panic
The closest thing Canada has to The New York Times is The Globe & Mail, a Toronto-based newspaper that defines—to a rough order of approximation—what respectable Canadians of a certain age are supposed to say and think. As with most legacy media outlets, its influence has faded significantly over the years. But as recent events show, it hasn’t vanished completely.
How Confident Should We Be in Psoriasis Biosimilars?
Episode Transcript This transcript has been edited for clarity. For more episodes, download the Medscape app or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast provider. Steven R. Feldman, MD, PhD: Hi I'm Dr Steven Feldman. Welcome to the Medscape InDiscussion podcast series on psoriasis. This is episode 4 of our season 4.
Canada’s Newspaper of Record Asks: ‘What If They Ultimately Find Nothing?’
A month ago, I offered some predictions about how Canadian journalists would cover the five-year anniversary of the country’s infamous “unmarked graves” social panic, which began on May 27, 2021. On one hand, this kind of important landmark would be difficult for news outlets to ignore.
A Deceitful Propaganda Campaign Marketed as a ‘Prank’
Anyone who makes a regular habit of reading my Quillette columns knows all about the “unmarked graves” social panic that swept Canada in 2021, following claims that the bodies of 215 Indigenous children had been discovered on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia. These lurid allegations turned out to be false. Yet despite the passage of half a decade, saying so out loud is still seen as impolite.
On ‘Gender-Affirming Care,’ Canada’s Medical Establishment Refuses to Follow the Evidence
If the treatment of gender dysphoric youth were treated like any other medical topic, there would be little controversy about how patients should be cared for. Two years ago, Dr Hilary Cass, a former president of Britain’s Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, released an exhaustive report that examined the most reliable peer-reviewed research from around the world.
I Watched the Infamous Sarah Silverman Blackface Sitcom Episode. It Was Hilarious
Four years ago, comedian Sarah Silverman told her podcast listeners about how disappointed she was in her friend Dave Chappelle—who’d just done a Saturday Night Live monologue in which he’d (kind of) defended antisemitic gestures from rapper Kanye West and basketball star Kyrie Irving. For about ten minutes, Silverman chirped away anxiously on the subject, feebly attempting to reconcile her personal affection for Chappelle with the creepy content of his SNL set.
British Columbia’s UNDRIP Fiasco
Twenty years ago, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted the draft text of a document known as the “Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”—widely known by its (unfortunate) acronym, UNDRIP. Like many utopian UN manifestos of this type, it set forth a catalogue of aspirational principles that were easy to applaud but difficult to implement.
Canada’s 215 Imaginary Martyrs
On April 9, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and the rest of his caucus gathered in Montreal to kick off their three-day 2026 National Liberal Party Convention. In keeping with recent tradition, the proceedings began with an Indigenous elder performing a land acknowledgement and other sacraments of reconciliation.
The Tragedy of Murdered Indigenous Women is Real. So How Did Activists Turn It Into a Punch Line?
The worst serial killer in Canadian history was a British Columbia pig farmer named Robert Pickton. During the 1990s, he preyed on impoverished women from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside—primarily sex workers whom he lured to his farm in the suburban municipality of Port Coquitlam. In 2007, he was convicted of the murder of six women and sent to prison (he died after being stabbed by a fellow inmate two years ago).
André Gide versus George Orwell: Two Paths to Truth
There’s a certain kind of book that doesn’t excite my interest in newly published form, but which I will hungrily snatch up when a beaten-in paperback edition gets tossed to the curb. My Toronto neighbourhood, being well-populated by empty nesters with a view toward downsizing, regularly surrenders such treasures by the boxload—alongside old puzzles, CD holders, underused exercise equipment, and half-collapsed street-hockey nets.
The IOC Is Protecting Female Athletics. Canada’s Secretary of State for Sport Isn’t Happy About It
On 26 March, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a new policy that ensures female Olympic sports categories will be reserved for actual female athletes, as opposed to trans-identified men. Under the new policy, women will be required to prove their eligibility with a cheek swab or blood test—a simple one-time procedure that’s less intrusive than the drug-testing regimens that Olympians have submitted to for decades.
The Tragicomic Death Throes of Canada’s (Former) Workers’ Party
By now, many readers—even those who don’t know (or care) about Canadian politics—will have seen the excruciating video highlights from this past weekend’s New Democratic Party (NDP) leadership convention in Winnipeg. The NDP is a venerable left-wing political party that once was tightly conjoined with Canada’s blue-collar union movement. But in recent years, it has been spiralling into irrelevance.
Southeast Asia divided in reaction to the Middle East crisis
A group of people praying during the solidarity march for Iran in front of the Iranian Embassy in Jakarta on March 1, 2026. (Antara News) The US-Israel strikes on Iran, which killed the latter’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his influential aides on February 28, prompted different reactions across Southeast Asia. While geographically distant, Southeast Asian governments stated concerns, expressed with cautious language, economic anxiety, and, in some countries, blunt condemnation.
Southeast Asian states respond to Middle East crisis-driven fuel pressures
Commercial vessels and fuel tankers navigate the busy waters of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial artery for global energy supplies. (AFP) Following rising tension between US-Israel and Iran that started on February 28, fuel prices and demand in Southeast Asia have surged. One major factor was the blockade of Hormuz Strait which disrupted the global energy supply-chain through which 13 million barrels of oil per day are transported.
Myanmar junta pardons over ten thousand political prisoners
Demonstrators in Yangon hold portraits of Aung San Suu Kyi while protesting against Myanmar’s military coup, demanding democracy and the release of detained civilian leaders. (Reuters) On March 2, Myanmar’s military junta pardoned 10,162 political prisoners with over 7,337 previously indicted under the counter-terrorism laws, according to the state media outlet MRTV. This decision was made ahead of the first parliamentary session.
Malaysia unanimously condemns US-Israeli strikes against Iran
Crowds gather in Tehran to mourn Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as supporters pay tribute during a period of national grief following his death. (Xinhua) Following the attacks and retaliations between US-Israel and Iran starting on February 28, Southeast Asian countries are divided in their reaction.
A Letter to the American Museum of Natural History
To: Peter Whiteley Curator, North American Ethnology American Museum of Natural History New York City Professor Whiteley — I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Northwest Coast Hall of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where I observed a number of impressive exhibits pertaining to the material culture of Indigenous Nations of the Pacific Northwest.
Thirty nations join Asia’s largest joint exercise training in Thailand
Troops from 30 nations take part in the 45th Cobra Gold drills, strengthening regional defense and disaster response coordination. (The Nation) On February 26, 30 nations joined the Cobra Gold, a multilateral joint training exercise across Thailand provinces that will last for eight days until March 8. The joint exercise is sponsored by the Royal Thai Armed Forces and US Indo-Pacific Command ‘to meet new challenges and improve the interoperability we need to defend our sovereignty and prosperity’.
US imposes new tariffs on solar imports from Indonesia and Laos
Solar power contributed significantly to electricity generation at a Texas, recent energy data shows. (Recurrent Energy) The US Department of Commerce released new tariff policies on solar cells and panels import products to three countries, including Indonesia and Laos on February 22. The rates are 104.38% for Indonesia, and 80.67% for Laos. This move was initiated by the US alliance of solar manufacturing companies to protect domestic investment.
Bhumjaithai's Anutin Charnvirakul says no 300-seat coalition deal has been finalised
Anutin Charnvirakul waves his hands after being elected at the Constitutional Court in Thailand on Sept 5, 2025. (Reuters) Bhumjaithai Party Leader Anutin Charnvirakul has denied claims that a 300-seat coalition has already been secured, as reported by a media outlet on February 21. The Prime Minister-designate said no formal deal has been made and talks must wait for official election results.
Malaysia moves to limit the prime minister’s mandate to two terms
Anwar Ibrahim, during a visit to the International Institute of Islamic Thought in the United States, said Islamic traditions must be understood in the context of a modern society. (EPA) On February 23, Malaysia made a constitutional breakthrough by introducing a bill to limit the prime minister’s period in office to just two terms, a total of ten years, in an effort to boost accountability and curb executive overreach.
Indonesia signs US$38.4 billion trade deals with the United States
President Prabowo Subianto and senior ministers attend the Gala Iftar Dinner Business Summit at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. (BPMI Setpres) On February 18, Indonesian delegates were hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce to seal the final trade deal between the two countries valued at around US$38.4 billion. The agreements cover sectors from critical minerals, agriculture, energy and technology proven by the signing of the 11 memorandums of understanding.
Sara Duterte to run for Philippine president amid new impeachment complaint
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte speaks at a press conference in Manila on February 18, announcing her plan to run for president in 2028. (Reuters) Vice President Sara Duterte said on February 18 that she will run for president in the upcoming 2028 election. Hours later, lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera filed a complaint against her, supported by two lawmakers, triggering the fourth attempt to impeach the vice president.
The Fiction Continues
Four years ago, amid the run-up to the 2022 Winter Olympics, an Indigenous-led Canadian group announced it was seeking to bring the 2030 Olympic games to the province of British Columbia.
Stop Pretending the Tumbler Ridge Killer Was Female
On 10 February, Jesse Van Rootselaar (also known as Jesse Strang) killed eight people in the remote British Columbia mining town of Tumbler Ridge. The first two victims were the killer’s mother and half-brother, whom Van Rootselaar shot at home. Van Rootselaar then went to a local secondary school and murdered six more people—five of whom were twelve- or thirteen-year-old students—before committing suicide. Twenty-seven others were injured.
Indonesia to station thousands of troops in Gaza
Indonesian troops conduct live hoist training during Exercise Super Garuda Shield in Baturaja, showcasing joint military readiness with the United States and strengthening regional defense interoperability. (Capt. Kyle Abraham, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade) On February 9, Indonesia’s army chief of staff, Maruli Simanjuntak stated that 5,000-8,000 troops are being prepared to join the international stabilisation force (ISF).
Pressure mounts on Thailand’s Election Commission over transparency
A protester demands a nationwide vote recount outside Thailand’s Election Commission in Bangkok, as demonstrators challenge the credibility of the general election results. (EPA) On February 10, protests and recount demands by Thailand’s People’s Party were made following the general election results, citing suspected electoral fraud.
Gunman detained after school hostage incident in Southern Thailand
Police and forensic personnel examine the scene at a school in Songkhla province following a hostage incident involving students and teachers on February 11, 2026. (Reuters) A gunman held students and teachers hostage at Patongprathankiriwat School in Hat Yai, the southern part of Thailand, on February 11 after opening fire inside the complex using a stolen pistol. The 18-year-old suspect was detained by police, and all hostages were freed.
Philippine clergy file impeachment complaint against VP Sara Duterte
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte appears before lawmakers during a House budget hearing reviewing her office’s proposed 2026 allocation. (The Philippine STAR) Philippines Vice President, Sara Duterte, was targeted by an impeachment motion by the country’s Catholic clergy on January 9. The complaint was based on the suspected misappropriation of funds amounting to US$8.5 million from taxpayers. The filed complaint also included her alleged attempts to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos.
Bhumjaithai Party wins Thai election
Police and forensic personnel examine the scene at a school in Songkhla province following a hostage incident involving students and teachers on February 11, 2026. (Reuters) On February 9, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party officially claimed victory, securing 200 seats in the 500-seat lower house as polling results near completion. The Thai Election Committee count concluded that the party won most seats in the parliament with around 65% voter turnout.
Indonesia pledges capital-market reforms after US$80 billion stock market fall
The Jakarta Composite Index movement is displayed on a trading screen at the Indonesia Stock Exchange building in Jakarta. (KOMPAS.com) Indonesia’s stock market recorded its worst decline since the 1997–98 crisis, wiping out over US$80 billion in value. The carnage stemmed from a report by an American finance company, MSCI, underlining weak governance and transparency in Indonesia’s business sphere.
Indonesian oil tycoon declared fugitive by Interpol
Indonesian oil tycoon Mohammad Riza Chalid and his son, Kerry Adiranto Riza, pictured prior to Interpol issuing a red notice against Chalid on January 23, 2026. (KOMPAS.com) On January 23, Interpol issued a red notice warrant for Mohammad Riza Chalid following his corruption case involving the manipulation of crude oil and fuel import arrangements at Indonesia’s state energy firm Pertamina, which authorities say caused significant losses to the state through inflated prices and illicit gains.
ASEAN Chair Philippines says the bloc does not recognise Myanmar elections result
Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro speaks to reporters following a press conference at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Retreat in Cebu, Philippines, on Thursday. (AP) On January 29, as the initial foreign ministers meeting under the Philippines chairmanship convened, Philippine Foreign Secretary Lazaro stated that 11 member states agreed to ‘not endorse the three phases of elections’.
Myanmar pledges to lift blacklist on former civil servants after mass defections
Myanmar protesters take part in a civil servant-led rally calling for the restoration of democracy, holding placards supporting the Civil Disobedience Movement. (AFP) Myanmar’s junta promised a removal of blacklist status for ex-civil servants who were involved in a disobedience movement. After a military-led coup occurred in February 2021, thousands of civil servants, ranging from government workers, doctors and engineers, were protesting by deserting from their posts.
Indonesia sells its economic story at Davos
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22, 2026. (Presidential Media Team) On 22 January, Prabowo Subianto departed for Davos, Switzerland, following an official meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, to deliver a special address to the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 Summit.
Indonesia appoints president’s relative as central bank deputy
Thomas “Tommy” Djiwandono, nephew of President Prabowo Subianto, poses for a photo ahead of his inauguration as deputy finance minister at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on July 18, 2024. (JP) On January 26, Indonesian House of Representatives officially appointed Thomas Djiwandono as the Deputy of the Indonesian Central Bank, who is notably a close relative of the Indonesian President, Prabowo Subianto.
ASEAN Foreign Ministers meet in Manila to address rising regional security challenges
ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Cebu, the Philippines, where ministers discussed regional priorities under the Philippines’ 2026 chairship. The meeting was chaired by Philippine Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro. (ASEAN) Southeast Asian Foreign Ministers gather in Manila, the Philippines, on January 29 to discuss several unresolved regional issues.
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