Woke inclusion opens gates to exclusion and division

Canada’s federal government has cheerfully proclaimed June to September to be Pride Season. Beyond the commonplace vulgarity in pride parades, one reasonably perceives a push to include new identities. And generous Canadians are inclusive.

But a push for inclusion is a push for power, and that makes inclusion a complex political beast. For starters, unless every person is included, any category is by nature exclusive of all others. The same is also true of new identities.

Liberal democratic societies wisely foster inclusion and avoid major social conflicts by respecting fundamental differences. Inclusion doesn’t mean accepting everything blindly, however. Liberal democracies support differences that uplift the humanity of individuals, understanding that all benefit in the defence of others’ rights and beliefs.

Consider the hallmark principle of liberal inclusivity: religious tolerance. Even anti-religious people who don’t agree with organized religion recognize that protecting religious…