About Greg Lukianoff

Free Speech Advocacy on Campuses

Greg Lukianoff has long championed free expression in higher education, founding and leading FIRE to combat censorship.[10] He discusses firestorms at universities like Harvard and Columbia amid federal pressures,[1] and argues that administrators, not just students, fueled cancel culture.[5] In Unlearning Liberty, he warns of campus censorship eroding critical thinking.[11]

Cancel Culture and Political Correctness

Lukianoff declares cancel culture far from dead, exposing it as driven by pre-existing administrative overreach meeting student activism.[5] He identifies a 'Second Great Age of Political Correctness' in 2022,[8] linking it to broader cultural shifts critiqued in The Coddling of the American Mind, co-authored with Jonathan Haidt.[1]

Threats from Left and Right

Lukianoff critiques free speech assaults from both sides: left-leaning cancel culture and right-wing tactics like Trump's defunding threats, faculty interference, and visa restrictions against elite universities.[1][2] He warns Trump's attacks threaten more than Harvard and his 'war on lawyers' endangers everyone.[26]

Guidance for Platforms and Public Figures

In an open letter to Elon Musk, Lukianoff urges adopting First Amendment principles for X (formerly Twitter) to foster free expression.[4][6] He spoke at the Museum of Sex on related speech issues[3] and shared book recommendations tied to the 'Eternally Radical Idea' of free speech.[7]

Emerging Threats: AI and Regulation

Testifying before Congress, Lukianoff highlighted AI and regulation as a 'chilling threat' to free speech.[12]

Public Speaking and Outreach

Lukianoff frequently speaks on free speech, including upcoming events at UW Madison[13-27] and past appearances like LA book launches[9] and radio discussions.[11]