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Florida High School Activist Jack Petocz, Organizer of Protests Against Book Bans and “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, Honored with 2022 PEN/Benenson Courage Award

Press ReleaseMay 24, 2022

Asia Kate Dillon said: “I hear from young people that seeing my character on Billions has helped them understand their own gender identity – and that this allowed them… More

Disciplinary Action Against Florida Student Jack Petocz for ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Protests Called “Unconscionable”

Press ReleaseMay 17, 2022

"By going back on their word and imposing a red mark on Jack Petocz's disciplinary record, the Flagler Palm Coast High School administration appears bent on retaliating against him… More

PEN America to Honor Florida High School Activist Jack Petocz for Organizing Book Ban and ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Protests Statewide

Press ReleaseApril 27, 2022

PEN America Chief Executive Officer Suzanne Nossel said, “The state of Florida has declared war on free speech through a series of measures aimed squarely to suppress expression. Jack… More

waving pride flag

‘Alarming’ Suspension of Florida Student for Organizing Rally Against ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill

Press ReleaseMarch 3, 2022

This comes as Florida moves to ban discussions of LGBTQ+ identities in schools, and books about LGBTQ+ lives are being removed from Florida's school library shelves. Petocz's efforts to… More

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Ann Patchett
Ann Patchett Invites Community In After School Shooting
PEN America: Suspension of Wayne State University Professor for Social Media Post a “Blatant Overreaction”
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Gina Chung
Protecting Free Speech on College Campuses is Essential to Preserving Academic Freedom, Says PEN America CEO

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penamerica PEN America @penamerica ·
14m

🧵“The FSB’s arrest of @evangershkovich for ‘espionage’ is a shameless move to prosecute him for his reporting on the Wagner group, Russia's war against Ukraine and other topics Russian officials would rather bury,” said Polina Sadovskaya, Eurasia director at @PENAmerica.

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penamerica PEN America @penamerica ·
58m

"Amy was busy at her job in the outskirts of St. Louis, Missouri, when the officer strode through her open doorway... Someone had called the police department and reported that she had been giving pornography to children, a criminal offense in Missouri." https://www.codastory.com/rewriting-history/missouri-libraries-book-ban/

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penamerica PEN America @penamerica ·
1h

Thank you @pen_southafrica for standing in solidarity with Chinese poet Zhang Guiqi and paying tribute to him on the Empty Chair Podcast.

We continue to call with @pen_int and @chinesepen_org for his release from prison. He is serving a six-year sentence on trumped-up charges.

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