In the Media

Articles That Mention the Free Speech Union

The police have gone full Orwell

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This week, Mills finally had his NCHI removed from his record by Kent Police, thanks to the efforts of the Free Speech Union. But while any individual victory like this is welcome, speech will not be truly free in the UK until NCHIs are abolished along with our censorious laws.

Charlie Peters, Spiked, 27th April 2022.

Elon Musk TAKES OVER Twitter – billionaire agrees historic deal with social media giant

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The Free Speech Union added following the news: “We look forward to an overhaul of the social media company’s content moderation policies so it becomes possible for users to challenge prevailing orthodoxies, whether about the participation of transwomen in women’s sports or the effectiveness of the Covid vaccines, without running the risk of being no-platformed.”

Michael Curzon, The Daily Express, 25th April 2022.

Backlash as Home Office staff are told to add their pronouns to work emails and state whether they want to be called he, she or they

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The Free Speech Union warned the new rules could breach equalities law, and have written to the Home Office’s top civil servant Sir Matthew Rycroft to complain about the directive. They said: “We are concerned that this instruction, which appears to be mandatory, is a form of compelled speech that violates the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the right to free speech and is a breach of the Equality Act 2010.”

Daniel Martin, The Daily Mail, 16th April 2022.

Home Office insisting civil servants indicate pronouns

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The Free Speech Union has written to Matthew Rycroft, the Permanent Secretary at the Home Office, to complain about a directive to Home Office staff to include their pronouns in their email signatures. They are concerned that this instruction, which appears to be mandatory, is a form of compelled speech that violates the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the right to free speech (Articles 9 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights).

Guido Fawkes, 15th April 2022.

PRONOUN DEMAND Civil servants ordered to state if they’re male, female or non-binary in email signatures

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Staff in the Visa, Status and Information Services department received an email ordering them to include their pronouns at the end of all messages they send. They must put “he/him” if they are a man, “she/her” if they are a woman or “they/them” if they don’t identify as either. But the Free Speech Union warned the order could breach equalities law. It has written to the Home Office’s top civil servant Matthew Rycroft to complain.

Kate Ferguson, The Sun, 15th April 2022.