Conservatives Oppose Educational Gag Orders, Too
Casual observers of the recent wave of educational gag orders could be forgiven for thinking that views on this issue are perfectly polarized along ideological lines. Conservatives support these… More
Educational Gag Orders Seek to Enforce Compulsory Patriotism
Three New Bills Become Law in Florida, Mississippi, and South Dakota Monthly Roundup, March This post is part of a series from PEN America tracking the progress of educational gag orders… More
‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Inserts “Heavy Hand” of Lawmakers Into Classroom Lessons
PEN America issued the following statement upon passage of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill, from CEO Suzanne Nossel: "Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill amounts to a government diktat policing the… More
Educational Gag Orders Target Speech about LGBTQ+ Identities With New Prohibitions and Punishments
The effort to censor anti-LGBTQ identities in the classroom is expanding rapidly. More
PEN America: Characterizing Jan. 6 as “Legitimate Political Discourse” Is Perverse and Invites More Violence
The characterization of the January 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol as "legitimate political discourse" is perverse, and constitutes an open invitation to an escalation of violence in… More
Through Suspensions for Offensive Speech, ABC News and Georgetown University Must Avoid Chilling Open Discourse
PEN America has issued the following statement today from CEO Suzanne Nossel in response to two separate cases of offensive remarks that made headlines and caused an outcry; one… More
In Higher Education, New Educational Gag Orders Would Exert Unprecedented Control Over College Teaching
In 2022, educational gag orders are being aimed squarely at colleges and universities to exert ideological control over what is being taught and read in classrooms. More
Steep Rise in Gag Orders, Many Sloppily Drafted
Over the last three weeks, 65 bills have been formally introduced in state legislatures across the country, a rate of roughly three bills per day. More
PEN America’s Free Expression Advocacy Institutes
PEN America’s Free Expression Advocacy Institutes are signature educational programs on free expression issues in the United States and worldwide. More