Speech codes are restrictions on speech. They are often imposed by institutions on their members (such as corporate employers on their employees or universities on their students and staff) or by governments on their citizens. Some speech codes are more restrictive than others.
| “ | The feminists are actively promoting college speech codes to prohibit what they call discriminatory or harassing speech. Of course, jokes are not allowed because feminists have no sense of humor. Nearly 400 colleges and universities have these anti-First Amendment speech regulations, about a third of which target mere "advocacy of offensive or outrageous viewpoints or biased ideas." | ” |
University Speech Codes
In recent years, Speech Codes have also been implemented in major North American colleges and universities; For example, Northeastern University in Boston's Appropriate Use of Computer and Network Resources Policy[1] prohibits students from using the university's information systems or facilities to send any message that “in the sole judgment of the University” is “intolerant” or “offensive.” And Colorado State University’s Residence Hall Handbook[2] bans "[E]xpressions of hostility against a person or property because of a person’s race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, ability, age, gender, socio-economic status, ethnicity, or sexual orientation".
Various organizations such as the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (or FIRE) have been established to oppose such trend.[3]