So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast

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Ep. 78 LGBT equality and the First Amendment Feb 07, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we speak with Rutgers Law School Professor Carlos Ball about his book, "The First Amendment and LGBT Equality: A Contentious History."

During this conversation, we explore the history of how LGBT activists utilized the First Amendment to secure their rights, why Professor Ball considers that history "contentious," and how debates surrounding liberty and equality have roiled America for over a century and continue to drive conversations about LGBT rights today.

Show notes:

Podcast transcript
The First Amendment and LGBT Equality: A Contentious History
Cases: Roth v. United States (1957), One, Inc. v. Olesen (1958), Manual Enterprises, Inc. v. Day, Postmaster General (1962), Bowers v. Hardwick (1986), Romer v. Evans (1996), Boy Scouts of America v. Dale (2000), CLS v. Martinez (2010), Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (2018)
Relevant past podcasts: Debating Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Jonathan Rauch's "Kindly Inquisitors"

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Ep. 77 Campus speech roundup: Art censorship, porn filters, speech restrictions abroad, and litigation victories Jan 24, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we are joined by four members of FIRE's staff to discuss the latest campus free speech news, including two new FIRE initiatives to tackle art censorship and restrictions on free speech and academic freedom abroad.

Participants in this show are:

Nico Perrino, host of So to Speak, director of communications

Will Creeley, senior vice president of legal and public advocacy

Adam Steinbaugh, director of FIRE's Individual Rights Defense Program

Marieke Tuthill Beck-Coon, director of litigation

Sarah McLaughlin, senior program officer for legal and public advocacy

Show notes:

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Ep. 76 From black armbands to the U.S. Supreme Court Jan 10, 2019

Show notes

Her journey started with wearing a black armband to school and proceeded to the landmark United States Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District (1969). But it by no means stopped there: Mary Beth Tinker, namesake of the "Tinker" decision, continues to be a free speech icon.

On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we share with you an unabridged version of a 2016 conversation between Tinker and attorney Robert Corn-Revere, in which Tinker sheds light on her case and the state of student speech rights nearly 50 years later.

Show notes:

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Ep. 75 Against 'Free Speech' with Anthony Leaker Dec 27, 2018

Show notes

Against 'Free Speech' with Anthony Leaker

What does it mean to be "against 'free speech?'"

On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we speak with Anthony Leaker. Earlier this year he wrote an essay for Cato Unbound called "Against 'Free Speech'," in which he professes skepticism of the prevailing free speech narrative in the West and argues that it is often used as a Trojan Horse for far-right wing and fascist propaganda.

Leaker is a principal lecturer in cultural and critical theory at the University of Brighton in England.

Show notes:

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Ep. 74 'The Half-Life of Facts' with Samuel Arbesman Dec 13, 2018

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Has every fact we've ever known undergone revision or reversal?

It's a provocative and consequential idea, and one that complexity scientist Samuel Arbesman argues has some truth to it — even if he wouldn't state it that strongly. On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we talk with Arbesman about his 2012 book, The Half-Life of Facts: Why Everything We Know Has an Expiration Date.

If facts about our world are constantly shifting, shouldn't the protection of free speech — the right to openly question the world and all we believe about it — become even more critical? We explore what, if any, implications Arbesman's argument has for those who care about free speech and open inquiry.

Show notes:

"Undiscovered Public Knowledge" by Don R. Swanson

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Ep. 73 'Uncensored' with Zachary Wood Nov 29, 2018

Show notes

Zachary Wood has become comfortable with uncomfortable conversations. He's engaged in them his entire life — with his mom who suffers from schizoaffective disorder, with his neighbors in Washington, D.C.'s impoverished Ward 8 community, and with his friends at the elite private high school he commuted four hours round trip to each day.

So when Wood arrived at Williams College in 2014, he was prepared for the uncomfortable learning that comes along with uncomfortable conversations about the world's most important and controversial issues. Unfortunately, he was quick to learn not everyone was up for the challenge — including his college president.

On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we talk with Wood about his new memoir, Uncensored: My Life and Uncomfortable Conversations at the Intersection of Black and White America.

Show notes:

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Ep. 72 'Bodied' with director Joseph Kahn Nov 13, 2018

Show notes

"Words are weapons in the world's most lyrical sport."

That's how competitive battle rap is described by the makers of "Bodied," a new satirical film produced by Eminem about a college student who decides to write a thesis paper on battle rap and through a twist of fate finds himself becoming a prodigy in the sport.

On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we speak with"Bodied" director Joseph Kahn. Kahn is a filmmaker and Grammy-award winning music video director, who has directed videos for Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons, Blink 182, Britney Spears, Maroon 5, and many other best-selling artists.

Kahn describes himself as a free speech absolutist. During the course of this conversation, we unpack what that means and take a look at the free speech interests in his new, controversial film.

Show notes:

Joseph Kahn podcast transcript
Bodied movie trailer: https://youtube.com/watch?v=oUry7CpMpCE
Bodied is in theaters now and will be available on YouTube Premium on Nov. 28
BodiedMovie.com
JosephKahn.com
"Joseph Kahn doesn't care if he's 'canceled'" — Vulture, Nov. 2, 2018
"Power/Rangers (unauthorized NSFW bootleg)"

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Ep. 71 Thinking about free speech in bets with Annie Duke Nov 01, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we discuss how decision-making, "information liquidity," and luck fit into our daily lives — and how a solid understanding of these concepts can point to an underappreciated benefit of free expression.

Our guest is Annie Duke. She is a decision strategist, renowned poker player, and author of Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts. Duke won more than $4 million in tournament poker during her career, and in 2004 she won the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions.

Show notes:

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Ep. 70 Free speech in the digital age with Jameel Jaffer Oct 18, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we speak with Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.

Jaffer and the Knight Institute seek to defend "the freedoms of speech and the press in the digital era through strategic litigation, research, and public education."

Show notes:

Podcast transcript
Knight First Amendment Institute website
Clapper v. Amnesty International, the U.S. Supreme Court case Jaffer argued challenging the constitutionality of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
So to Speak podcast with Glenn Greenwald on free speech and privacy
Knight Institute v. Trump, the Knight Institute's legal challenge to President Donald Trump's blocking of critics on Twitter.
"Knight Institute calls on Facebook to lift restrictions on digital journalism and research"

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Ep. 69 Former Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. Oct 04, 2018

Show notes

On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we partner with the First Amendment Salon to present a conversation between former Solicitor General of the United States Donald B. Verrilli Jr. and University of Washington School of Law scholar Ronald Collins.

Verrilli was solicitor general of the United States from June 2011 to June 2016 and during that time he argued dozens of cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, including many First Amendment cases. He is now a partner with Munger, Tolles & Olson, and the founder of its Washington, D.C. office.

During this conversation, Verrilli and Collins discuss Verrilli's advocacy in front of the Supreme Court on First Amendment cases and beyond. Verrilli also provides his take on the future of the court.

The First Amendment Salon is a quarterly gathering of members of the First Amendment community for a 90-minute discussion with leading thinkers concerning a timely topic related to freedom of expression.A video version of this and past First Amendment Salon conversations can be found on FIRE's YouTube page. To learn more about the First Amendment Salon, visit the Salon's archive on FIRE's First Amendment Library.

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