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The Unspeakable Podcast

Defending Pornography, Hate Speech and the ACLU: Nadine Strossen on The Unspeakable

Apr 29, 2024

Legal scholar and free speech advocate Nadine Strossen discusses defending pornography, hate speech, and changes in the ACLU. Topics include generational divides on harmful words, campus speech codes, and the decision to remain child-free. Strossen reflects on her career, historical debates on free speech, defending controversial content, and navigating complexities in education and civil liberties. The conversation delves into internal ACLU conflicts, evolving feminism, and promoting open dialogue and diverse expression.

01:21:37

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Nadine Strossen

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Quick takeaways

Nadine Strossen advocates for defending free speech in contentious cases like Skokie, emphasizing ongoing vigilance for civil liberties protection.

Exploring the complexities of free speech within feminist discourse, Strossen discusses the impact of the anti-pornography movement on gender discrimination and differing views on sexual expression.

The podcast highlights the evolving nature of education and societal dynamics impacting speech issues, emphasizing the importance of empowering individuals to exercise freedom of speech in the face of evolving norms and educational frameworks.

Deep dives

Championing Free Speech and Advocacy Against Censorship

Legendary free speech advocate Nadine Strossen discusses her long-term involvement in defending free speech, starting from contentious cases like the Skokie case. She emphasizes the ongoing importance of vigilance to protect civil liberties, citing historical cases and the challenges faced by subsequent generations in upholding free speech principles.

Rhetorical Hyperbole and Impactful Words

The Importance of Hearing Diverse Perspectives

The Resurgence of Political Correctness and Wokeness

Rising Above Hurtful Words

1.

Introduction

3min

2.

Navigating Free Speech Debates Through Historical Context

26min

3.

Reflections on Historical Pornography and Defending Controversial Content

1min

4.

Navigating the Complexities of Free Speech and Education

30min

5.

The ACLU's Internal Debates on Civil Liberties and Free Speech

13min

6.

Evolving Feminism: Progress and Challenges

7min

7.

Exploring the Legacy of a Free Speech Advocate and Promoting an Exclusive Conversation and Retreat Event

2min

This week, Meghan talks with legal scholar, former law professor, and legendary free speech advocate Nadine Strossen.

Nadine was president of the American Civil Liberties Union from 1991 to 2008 and she’s the author of many books, including Defending Pornography, which has just been reissued nearly 30 years after its original publication. In this wide-ranging conversation, Nadine talks about pornography, campus speech codes, generational divides when it comes to ideas about words causing harm, and changes in institutions like the ACLU.

This week, almost the entire conversation is available to everyone, but paying Substack subscribers get a fascinating and very funny tangent at the end about a subject (mostly) unrelated to free speech: the subject of choosing not to have children. Nadine always knew she never wanted kids and she talks candidly about what was behind that impulse and how she feels about it now that she’s in her 70s.

GUEST BIO

Nadine Strossen, New York Law School Professor Emerita and Senior Fellow at FIRE (the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression), was national President of the American Civil Liberties Union from 1991 to 2008. An internationally acclaimed free speech scholar and advocate, who regularly addresses diverse audiences and provides media commentary around the world, Strossen also serves on the Advisory Boards of several organizations that promote free speech and academic freedom.

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