The right to express yourself regardless of the popularity of your views is fundamental to a free and democratic society. We recognize that if one person can be silenced, all of us are at risk of being silenced. Throughout its history, ACLU-MN has challenged officials who seek to restrict this basic right.

In Minnesota, we have seen repeated attempts to curtail personal liberties and freedom of expression, including attempts to limit the reproductive rights of women, limit the rights of the LGBTQ community, and stifle freedom of speech and freedom of association. In addition, we are in a period where privacy and surveillance issues are wide-ranging and significant. We will work to limit surveillance through emerging technologies and expand the expectation of privacy in the digital age to nurture democracy, individual autonomy, and the right to dissent.

Our Legislative Director Benjamin Feist and Legal Director Teresa Nelson examine recent challenges to freedom of speech and expression in Minnesota in this article: PDF icon Disruption of Business As Usual: Protest Rights and Public Policy Challenges in 2017.