A last minute decision to move a painting explicitly criticizing president-elect Donald Trump to a smaller separate gallery during a Pennsylvania art show is raising concerns in the free speech community. The gouache painting by Brian Wiggins entitled “FUCK TRUMP” was…
CBLDF Joins Amicus Brief in Support of “The Band Who Must Not Be Named”
CBLDF has joined a basket of deplorable people and organizations on a Cato Institute-led amicus brief to the Supreme Court in Lee v. Tam, asking, “Should the government get to decide what’s a slur?” Among the deplorables who joined CBLDF…
Ahmed Naji to be Freed From Prison Pending Appeal
After serving 10 months of a two-year prison sentence for literary obscenity, Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji is expected to be released today after an appeals court suspended his sentence over the weekend. His case is still proceeding, however, and the…
Zunar Arrested Again at Fundraising Event
For the second time in less than a month, Malaysian police arrested political cartoonist Zunar. Last month it was at an exhibition of his cartoons in Penang; this time it was a “Tea with Zunar” fundraiser, book signing, and live…
2016 Wasn’t All Bad: It Had Comics!
As we near the end of this long, hard slog of a year, there is one bright spot that should at least keep us occupied a ways into 2017: the ever-expanding complement of lists bringing together the year’s…
How Web Comics Revolutionized Free Speech
For decades, syndicated press was virtually the only means for cartoonists to have their works published and build their readership. With a combined rise in social and political limitations, though, the internet and web comics grew to be the champion of…
After Uptick, ALA Office Now Tracking Hate Crimes in Libraries
Following a troubling rise in hate crimes and ideologically motivated book defacement in libraries, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom announced recently that it has begun formally tracking such incidents. OIF is the office that normally tracks challenges…
NCAC Launches Censorpedia
LAST DAY for Christmas Delivery – CBLDF’s 2016 Gift Guide
If you’re still in need of holiday gifts and want to help CBLDF get ready for a new year of protecting the First Amendment, you’ve come to the right place! But act now — today is the last day to…
One Week Left to Get Neil Gaiman’s Rarest Works — Beneficiaries Include CBLDF!
Humble Bundle invites you to celebrate the holiday season with international bestselling author Neil Gaiman in the Humble Book Bundle: Neil Gaiman. This bundle is a collection of priceless rarities, many of which are unavailable anywhere else,…
Despite Challenges, Russian Indie Comics Scene Continues to Grow
Around the world, comics have been embraced as literature and a medium for free speech. Russia is no exception. In a recent editorial piece on Vice News, Thomas Carey Frazier shares his experiences visiting the country’s Astro Con and the…
Now Available: CBLDF Defender #8!
Gene Luen Yang: Comics Belong in Classrooms
CBLDF and Partners Urge Policy Change to Protect Books in Accomack County
Following last week’s welcome decision by the school board in Accomack County, Virginia to restore The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird to school libraries and classrooms after they were challenged by…
Satirical Cartoon Blog Post Blocked in Turkey
A blog post featuring satirical cartoons of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is currently blocked by court order inside Turkey but freely available elsewhere, highlighting the delicate balance between intellectual freedom and local laws that online hosting platforms must maintain…