PEN America: ‘This escalating battle for control over free expression in education should worry us all’
PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel testified that the rise in educational gag orders and "escalating battle for control over free expression in education should worry us all." More
PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel Testimony Before Congress on Protecting Free Speech on College Campuses
House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development Hearing on “Diversity of Thought: Protecting Free Speech on College Campuses" * Statement of Suzanne Nossel, Chief… More
10 Surprising Things Banned in U.S. Schools
Across the country, schools are making choices to restrict not only books, but also songs by Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus and the Muppets, The Addams Family musical and more. More
PEN America: U.S. Is Experiencing the Biggest Attack on First Amendment Rights ‘in Generations’
PEN America testified that the United States is experiencing "the broadest attack on First Amendment rights in schools and universities this country has seen in generations." More
PEN America/PEN International: Chinese Authorities Should Immediately Release Blogger Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison
“The seven-year prison sentence handed down to Ruan Xiaohuan for his politics and technology blog is an outrage. Blogging is not a crime and the heavy prison sentence on… More
PEN America, With Other Free Speech Organizations, Sends Letter to Congress Opposing Proposed National TikTok Ban
The letter reads in part: “We recognize the grave concerns that TikTok and other social media platforms pose for the privacy of individual users. We are also aware and… More
PEN America and Amani: Africa Creative Defence Network Call on Ugandan President to Veto Anti-LGBTQI Rights Law, Condemning it as a Serious Strike Against Free Expression
“We have seen a troubling rise in cases of Ugandan artists and cultural professionals who have been arrested merely on the grounds of telling the stories of LGBTQI+ communities… More
Cancellation of Drag Benefit Show on Texas Campus Goes Against Norms of Free Expression
“This cancellation is an abhorrent trampling of students’ free expression rights," said Kristen Shahverdian, senior manager of free expression and education at PEN America. “It goes against university policy… More
Revised Florida Textbooks Left Race Out of Rosa Parks History
In an effort to pass muster in Florida, a history textbook publisher omitted references to race, even when it came to Rosa Parks. A revised text said only that… More
Hong Kong Authorities Should Drop Sedition Charges Against Booksellers, PEN America Says
“Producing and selling a book about Hong Kong’s 2019 protest movement is not a crime. Hong Kong authorities are attempting to rewrite the history of the protests by arresting… More