In light of the unprecedented and vindictive budget cut currently making its way through the South Carolina legislature as punishment for the College of Charleston encouraging (but not requiring) students to read Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home, we thought we’d share…
Author: Maren Williams
Indian Cartoonist Receives Death Threats After Criticizing Guru
After creating and sharing cartoons critical of a controversial “godman” or guru, Indian cartoonist Kanika Mishra has recently found herself on the receiving end of harassment and threats of violence via social media, according to Cartoon Movement. Kanika was inspired…
SC Legislator Excoriates Student Government for Defending Fun Home and Academic Freedom
Following the South Carolina House of Representatives vote last week to exact punitive budget cuts from two public colleges that chose LGBT-themed books–including Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel Fun Home–for campus reading programs, we noticed a revealing story that illustrates at…
Kennesaw State Announces Plan to Restore Censored Exhibit
Good news from Kennesaw State University in Georgia! Two weeks after President Daniel Papp ordered the censorship of an exhibit in the university’s brand-new art museum because it was “not aligned with the celebratory atmosphere of the museum’s opening,” KSU…
Ecuadorian Cartoonist Avoids Trial — For Now
A few months ago, we told you about the ongoing battle over freedom of the press in Ecuador. The government of President Rafael Correa was using new media regulations to intimidate political cartoonist Xavier Bonilla, who was told that he…
Fun Home Update: SC House Refuses to Restore Funding
The South Carolina House of Representatives doubled down on censorship yesterday, refusing to erase budget cuts that seek to punish two public colleges for assigning books that deal with LGBT issues. Democratic Reps. James Smith and Gilda Cobb-Hunter attempted to…
Victory for Students in “Boobies” Case!
Free expression rights for public school students were resoundingly reaffirmed today, as the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a Pennsylvania school district’s argument that it could prohibit students from wearing breast cancer awareness bracelets that read “I ♥ boobies!”…
Instead of Shielding Kids from Cartoon Violence, Why Not Address It Honestly?
Amongst all the stories of parents blaming books, video games, movies, and TV for corrupting their children, it can sometimes be easy to forget that these are only the loudest and most sensational voices; there are still plenty of parents…
Art Exhibit Censored at Kennesaw State University
The president of Georgia’s Kennesaw State University set a poor precedent for free expression in the school’s new art museum last week when he ordered an exhibit censored before the building had even opened to the public. During a walkthrough…
Bechdel, SC Residents Respond to Punitive Proposed Funding Cuts
Last week, a South Carolina House of Representatives committee approved a punitive funding cut for the College of Charleston because the school selected Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home for an optional summer reading program. Now, both the author and regular South…