Free Speech

We hold public schools and universities accountable. Students and educators at public institutions should be free to voice their opinions without fear of punishment.

We defend every American’s right to live and speak in accordance with their conscience. Whether the subject is marriage, pronouns, or abortion, no one should be compelled to express a message that violates their deeply held beliefs.

We oppose censorship. The answer to speech we disagree with is not censorship but more speech. From pro-life sidewalk counselors to college students to small business owners, no American should be silenced for their beliefs.

ADF engages in strategic litigation, legislation, and public advocacy to ensure we can all “speak the truth in love” to everyone we meet, just as the Apostle Paul instructs us in Ephesians 4:15.

• We created the Center for Academic Freedom to ensure free speech is protected on campus. We’ve achieved over 400 victories opposing speech codes, censorship zones, and vague policies that allow school officials to discriminate based on viewpoint.
• We are tackling corporate cancel culture. ADF’s Viewpoint Diversity Score and annual Business Index address the growing threat to free speech from major American corporations and banks.
• We’ve won numerous U.S. Supreme Court victories protecting free speech for clients as diverse as a pastor, a graphic artist, a network of pregnancy centers, a Christian counselor, and others.