A 4-week symposium hosted by the Kinsey Institute exploring government surveillance and censorship, and the importance of free expression in a democratic society.Tuesday nights, October 6-27, 5:30-6:30pm eastern via Facebook Live. UPDATE: Watch the symposium recordings on our YouTube channel >>
These talks are inspired by the history and ongoing impact of a 1956 U.S. customs case in which 31 photographs and other materials being shipped to the Kinsey Institute (then the Institute for Sex Research) were seized for being “obscene” under the laws of the day. IU president Herman B Wells sided with the Institute and the principles of academic freedom, and a federal court ultimately ruled in Kinsey and IU’s favor.
More than six decades later, Indiana University carries on Herman B Wells’ legacy as a champion of free academic inquiry. The symposium will feature talks related to censorship and academic freedom, art and obscenity, and the relationship between democracy and how free people are to express themselves. Speakers will explore the role of government in shaping what is deemed ‘acceptable,’ particularly as it relates to sexuality and sexual expression, and how individuals and institutions can challenge censorship to promote free expression and democratic values.
This event is sponsored by Themester 2020, an initiative of the IU College of Arts and Sciences.
Event Schedule:
October 6 Kinsey Institute Curator Rebecca Fasman and Assistant Director for Education Jessica Hille discuss the history of obscenity in the US.
October 13 Andrew Cooper, Journal of American History, discusses the 1956 customs case, US v. 31 photographs, and its impact on academic freedom and censorship law.
October 20 Svetlana Mintcheva, Director of Programs at the National Coalition Against Censorship, discusses art and censorship.
October 27 Preston Mitchum, Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center and Director of Policy of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity discusses contemporary restrictions on sexual expression.