Index on Censorship and Article 19 Central America demand that the Honduran Attorney General investigates increased threats received by journalist and human rights campaigner Dina Meza
CATEGORY: Americas

US women’s university struggles to find fair balance on transgender issues
Hollins University currently forbids students from making any legal or biological step toward becoming male. Now it’s reconsidering its approach. Cathryn Asip reports

Contra Band: Censored songs from Brazil and the UK
Join Index and Up Projects tomorrow: Contra Band is a new commission, by Leah Lovett, which brings together musicians and audiences from Brazil and the UK for an experimental live performance of songs censored in both countries between 1964-1985.

Brazil’s Luiz Ruffato: “We must defend freedom under any circumstance”
While researching Brazil’s legislation called the biographies’ law, Index on Censorship’s Brazil contibutor Simone Marques spoke to award-winning Brazilian author Luiz Ruffato, whose works include acclaimed novel They Were Many Horses.

Brazil’s banned biographies: When public figures want to control the message
With the World Cup in the rear view mirror, our contributor Simone Marques, explores the battle over censorship of unauthorised biographies and the last minute amendment that could cause more trouble for free expression in Brazil.

Petition calls on Met Opera to reverse Death of Klinghoffer decision
A petition campaign is calling on New York’s Metropolitan Opera to reverse a decision to cancel a simulcast of composer John Adams’ The Death of Klinghoffer.

Brazil must build on Marco Civil to protect free expression
With the adoption of a progressive legislation on internet rights, Brazil is taking the lead in digital freedom, but more works needs to be done to protect freedom of expression.

Internet governance: Brazil taking the lead in international debates
Key debates are under way at international level on internet governance, with crucial decisions up for grabs that could determine whether the internet remains a broadly free and open space, with a bottom up approach to its operation – as exemplified in part by the multistakeholder approach – or becomes a top-down controlled space as pushed for by China and Russia, supported to some extent by several other countries.

Brazil: Digital access and inclusion
Brazil is the world’s second-biggest user of both Facebook and Twitter, with already 65 million Facebook users and 41.2 million tweeters and counting.

Padraig Reidy: Why use the “offended” line? Because it works
The archdiocese of Rio is offended and reportedly threatening to sue Italian broadcaster RAI for an advert showing the Christ The Redeemer statue wearing the Italy Jersey. Such complaints of “offence” are really demands for “respect” — in the Corleone sense