New Report: 2,500+ Book Bans Across 32 States During 2021-22 School Year
“While we think of book bans as the work of individual concerned citizens, our report demonstrates that today's wave of bans represents a coordinated campaign to banish books being… More
Free Expression and LGBTQ+ Advocates Hold Media Briefing 2/14 on Florida ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill
On Monday, February 14 at 10:00 a.m. ET, PEN America will convene a virtual media briefing of LGBTQ+ and free speech advocates to discuss the “Don’t Say Gay” bill… More
Florida ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill: Vindictive and Brazen Move to Halt Progress Toward Inclusion
PEN America calls Florida "Don't Say Gay" bill a brazen and vindictive effort to halt progress toward a more inclusive society. More
Local LGBTQ+ Reporters in Conversation: Jason Parsley
“LGBT presses are not in it to make money, per se. . . . There is a love and a sense of community that big corporations do not care… More
Local LGBTQ+ Reporters in Conversation: Darian Aaron
“It matters that a journalist reporting on Black LGBTQ+ stories understands the complexities and nuances of life in the South . . . those in which we’ve been included… More
Local LGBTQ+ Reporters in Conversation: Tammye Nash
“it is our job to make our community real to the larger society. LGBTQ media should put a human face to our community so that non-LGBTQ folks see us… More
Kyrgyzstan: Anti-LGBTQI law passes second reading
News that a law which will restrict positive discourse around sexual orientation has been passed in a second reading by the Kyrgyzstan parliament is deeply disappointing, PEN International and… More
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Walking on Eggshells: Teachers' Responses to Classroom Limitations on Race- or Gender-Related Topics
@RANDCorporation report on educational gag orders shows #teachers are self-censoring and restrictions are falling disproportionately on Black teachers.
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA134-16.html
@PENamerica predicted in November 2021: "These bills will have a chilling effect on the speech of educators." We wish we had been wrong. State legislators: did you want teachers more afraid and students learning less? Because that's what you've created. https://pen.org/report/educational-gag-orders/
Then there’s this 🙄 https://twitter.com/penamerica/status/1619505262024601601