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
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
New Stop W.O.K.E. Act Fits Disturbing Pattern in Education Culture War
Governor DeSantis’s Stop W.O.K.E. Act, while undoubtedly aggressive, is no aberration. On the contrary, it is increasingly—and disturbingly—business as usual. More
Scope and Speed of Educational Gag Orders Worsening Across the Country
In the month since the release of our report, educational gag orders have grown more sweeping in scope and become law with increasing speed. More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Brian Broome
“I’m trying to tell the truth every chance I get. Storytelling in front of an audience has become a big part of that.” More
PEN America Condemns Brutal Homophobic Attack on Belarusian Filmmaker
"Kolya was standing up against the very prejudices he seeks to portray in his film. PEN America condemns such blatant acts of hatred, and urges Belarus to take action… More
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We are relieved to see writer #AnandTeltumbde released on bail in India after 31 months in pre-trial detention for his #FreedomToWrite. He should never have been jailed in the first place.
https://scroll.in/article/1038464/will-the-bail-granted-to-anand-teltumbde-help-others-in-the-bhima-koregaon-case-to-get-out-of-jail
Digital rights in #Vietnam are declining as a new system of surveillance and control has emerged in the country, with the support of Western tech giants. https://thediplomat.com/2022/11/the-quiet-evolution-of-vietnams-digital-authoritarianism/
We welcome the establishment of an international fact-finding mission to investigate reported human rights abuses in Iran since protests against the death of #MahsaAmini. We urge the mission to pay close attention to targeted arrests of writers and #FreeExpression violations.