‘Parental Rights’ in Wisconsin | WI AB 510
Wisconsin’s AB 510, which passed the state assembly last week, claims to advance “parental rights” in public schools – but it actually advances a much more censorial agenda. More
At Harvard, a Summit for Free Expression
Amid its high-profile struggle around free speech on campus, Harvard University invited PEN America to convene a Free Speech Summit on Friday for 100 student leaders from Harvard and… More
25 books banned in Marietta, Georgia, over parent objections
Eleven of the 25 books banned in Marietta are written by LGBTQ+ authors and/or include LGBTQ+ characters. More
Conservative Commentator Bill O’Reilly Hits the Roof Over His Books Being Banned in Florida
O'Reilly now views the bans in a different light, arguing that Florida lawmakers wrote a law whose wording was too vague and needs to be rewritten. More
How RuPaul Changed My Life
If a drag queen wants to read you a story at a library, listen to her because knowledge is power, and if someone tries to restrict your access to… More
Journalists Single Out Extremism as a Topline Concern Ahead of 2024
A year ago, PEN America published Hate in the Headlines: Journalism and the Challenge of Extremism, a report examining the blurring line between right-wing and antidemocratic extremism and U.S.… More
More than 1,600 books banned in Escambia County, Florida
Five dictionaries are on Escambia County's list of more than 1,600 books banned pending investigation in December 2023, along with eight different encyclopedias, The Guinness Book of World Records,… More
Nearly 700 books, including celebrity bestsellers, banned in Orange County, Florida
Nearly 700 books, including recent bestsellers by Jon Stewart and Amy Poehler and classics by Maya Angelou, Ovid, and Marcel Proust, were removed from classrooms in Orange County, Florida,… More
PEN America Submits Comment to Florida Board of Governors on Policy that “Will Chill Speech of Faculty and Students”
SB 266 is “contrary to our core First Amendment liberties and values of academic freedom.” More
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley Hosts PEN America and Others for Roundtable on Book Bans
Pressley introduced the Books Save Lives Act, which PEN America welcomes in its efforts to increase access to diverse books and document the negative impact that book banning has… More