Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

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We defend free speech rights for all Americans. Free speech makes free people.
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10/19/2026

Religious groups in early America were big fans of liberty for themselves. But for everyone else? Not so much.

Mary Sarah Bilder, Justin Collings, and Alan Taylor join FIRE's Jeffrey Rosen to unpack what our founders really thought about religious liberty.

🎧 Listen to “The Blessings of Liberty” now wherever you get your podcasts: https://linktr.ee/jefros

10/18/2026

Love free speech? We've got just the thing for you. 🇺🇸

Shop our latest merch drop: https://shop.fire.org/

10/18/2026

Freedom of speech came FIRST for a reason.

When FDR outlined his four essential freedoms, he recognized that free speech is central to a free society.

That hasn't changed. Help us defend it: https://www.thefire.org/donate?form=sm

10/17/2026

Hearing things you disagree with can be uncomfortable, but knowing what people really believe is far better than silencing them.

10/16/2026

At UT Austin, campus police shut down an event featuring right-wing commentator Myron Gaines, without clear justification. An officer even threatened an organizer with trespassing charges if they stayed.

And that’s not the only free speech controversy brewing on campus.

Just weeks earlier, a student group invited left-wing commentator Hasan Piker to speak. UT Austin initially estimated police security costs at just $364, but ultimately charged the group nearly $18,000 after the event sparked outcries from public officials.

Public universities can enforce reasonable security rules. But they can’t use security fees to price speech they disagree with out of reach.

FIRE has called on UT Austin to rescind Hasan’s security fees and is investigating the shutdown of Gaines’ event. Students deserve answers.

The First Amendment protects speech from the right and the left. Public universities must do the same.

✉️: https://www.fire.org/research-learn/fire-letter-university-texas-austin-october-16-2026

10/15/2026

Case Western Reserve University is requiring student organizations to align their missions with the university’s DEI priorities to participate in campus life.

The university has no business dictating what student groups must believe, and forcing ideological conformity contradicts CWRU’s own promises of free expression.

We’re calling on CWRU to drop this mandate and let student organizations define their own missions without penalty.

✉️: https://www.fire.org/research-learn/fire-letter-case-western-reserve-university-october-15-2026

10/14/2026

Free speech needs people willing to stand up for it, and a team working to defend it.

We're looking for two new team members to help expand our reach and build the connections that move our work forward.

🔎 Prospect Development Officer

Help us reach new audiences and introduce more people to our work defending the First Amendment.

Learn more and apply: https://www.fire.org/careers/prospect-development-officer

🤝 Philanthropy Officer

Build meaningful relationships with our supporters and help grow a community invested in defending free speech, with a focus on the West Coast.

Learn more and apply: https://www.fire.org/careers/philanthropy-officer-3

10/14/2026

Nursing students could face discipline for posting about their school, professors, or coursework on social media under a new policy from Lake Area Technical College.

Even speaking out about unsafe clinical conditions or venting about assignments could put students at risk.

Future nurses shouldn't have to surrender their First Amendment rights to get an education.

We’re demanding LATC stop enforcing this policy and strike it from its handbook.

✉️: https://www.fire.org/research-learn/fire-letter-lake-area-technical-college-october-13-2026

10/13/2026

Cornell has suspended all fraternity social events for the rest of the academic year after allegations of serious misconduct, punishing an entire community for the alleged actions of a few.

Cornell has every right to investigate misconduct and hold responsible organizations accountable for their members’ actions. But punishing students who had no involvement is guilt by association.

With roughly one-third of Cornell undergraduates participating in Greek life, the blanket ban restricts students’ freedom of association and shuts down even charitable fundraisers.

Protecting students and respecting their rights are not competing obligations. Cornell has a responsibility to do both.

🔗: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/10/13/cornell-suspends-fraternity-events-sexual-assault/92234530007/

10/13/2026

The right to record police helps keep law enforcement accountable.

When officers order people to stop filming, they need more than “because I said so” to back it up.

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Philadelphia, PA
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https://www.fire.org/

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