News & Analysis
The latest news and analysis from PEN America’s research and advocacy.
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Press Releases • Commentary
Shut Down of Environmental Blog at U of Iowa After Lawmakers Reportedly Complained About It is “Profoundly Alarming,” Says PEN America
It is nothing short of a tragedy that Jones’ blog has been shut down for political reasons. More
PEN America Condemns China’s Arrest of Exiled Mongolian Writer and Historian Lhamjab A. Borjigin
These efforts infringe on the rights to freedom of opinion and belief, cultural expression, and education, protected by Chinese and international law. The arrest on Mongolian soil and immediate… More
Ahead of United Nations Review, PEN America Finds Chinese Government Has Failed to Protect Women’s Rights
“The May 12 review between the Chinese delegation and the UN Committee provides an opportunity for international scrutiny and accountability for the Chinese government’s violation of women’s rights,” said… More
PEN America Condemns “Egregious” Sentences Against Blogger and Journalists in Belarus
Since the 2020 presidential election in Belarus, internationally regarded as neither free nor fair, Lukashenka’s government has jailed journalists, writers, and other cultural figures on politically-motivated charges for expressing… More
Now the Most Challenged and Banned Book, Gender Queer Was Written to Give Teenagers the Guidance that Author Maia Kobabe Never Had
“If I’d had a book to read like this, specifically, when I was like a freshman in high school, it would have saved me years of questioning and confusion… More
Firing of Tenured Professor at Bakersfield College “Blurred Lines” Between Protected Speech and Conduct that May Merit Investigation, Says PEN America
Jeremy C. Young, senior manager of free expression and education at PEN America, issued the following statement: “Universities should never throw the kitchen sink at faculty in an attempt to… More
Student Decision to Prevent Speaker from On-Campus Talk in Spokane is Disappointing, Especially in Light of Historic Levels of Education Censorship, Says PEN America
A fear that the speech will offend some listeners cannot be the bar by which invitations to speakers are denied on campuses. More
PEN America Denounces Decision by Montana House to Bar Transgender Lawmaker from House Floor as a “Betrayal” of the Democratic Process
“This decision by the Montana House is deeply disturbing, especially on the heels of similar actions by the Tennessee legislature to expel lawmakers and silence protesterse,” said Kate Ruane,… More
PEN America Calls on China to Release Taiwan-based Publisher Li Yanhe
Li Yanhe had published books by Chinese dissidents and on subjects that otherwise would have been banned by Beijing. He has given Chinese-language readers access to different ideas and… More
PEN America: Removal of Art Exhibit on Florida Campus Shows the State Again Exerting Control over Free Expression
In response to the removal, PEN America’s senior manager of free expression and education Kristen Shahverdian, said: “It’s disappointing to see yet another removal of art on a Florida… More