How free are students and teachers to express unpopular ideas in public schools and universities? Not free enough, Joan Del Fattore suggests in Knowledge in the Making. She investigates battles over a wide range of topics that have fractured school and university communities—homosexuality-themed children’s books, research on race-based intelligence, the teaching of evolution, the regulation of hate speech, and more.

Society gives the okay for girls who wear boys clothing but is it okay for boys to dress up as girls? Cheryl Kilodavis wrote the book  My Princess Boy when her son started playing with dress up clothes at day care and this was the beginning of her journey to understand how to embrace her son.

J D Smith, co-director of Military Operations with Outserve, an underground network of gays actively serving in the military talks about repealing the military’s discriminatory policy of don’t ask don’t tell. Later, anti gay activities around the world particularly in Africa with Michael Petrelis, a San Francisco international gay and HIV activist.

From the world’s #1 bestselling crime writer comes the extraordinary new Kay Scarpetta novel. Port Mortuary is Patricia Cornwell‘s 18th book and is literally a port for the dead. LAter in the hour Jon O’Brien, president of  Catholics For Choice joins us to talk about World Aids Day and an international effort to look at how public funds are used. 

A gay Rutgers student committed suicide after being videotaped by his roommate but will it make any difference in the fight against cyberbullying? Will it change the way hate crimes are written and applied to threats and attacks involving sexual orientation? Wayne Besen, executive director of  Truth Wins Out joins us and later, Jay Varner, author of  Nothing Left to Burn, a memoir that tells the story of a son’s relationship with his father, the fire chief and a local hero, and his grandfather, a serial arsonist.

Advocates of allowing gay Americans to serve openly in the armed forces were disappointed Tuesday by a Senate vote taking up a major military bill that would allow the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.  Trevor Thomas with the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network talks about what’s next. Then, should it be illegal to work as a sightseeing guide without passing a test and getting a license? Robert McNamara a staff attorney with the Institute For Justice says it’s a violation of his clients constitutional rights.

The Eyes of Willie McGee is a gripping saga of race and retribution and author Alex Heard tells a moving and unforgettable story of the deep South that says as much about Mississippi today as it does about the mysteries of the past. Later, pop culture critic and author, Helena Andrews talks about her new memoir, Bitch is the New Black , a collection of essays.

Susan Douglas, author of Enlightened Sexism takes readers on a spirited journey through television programs, popular songs, movies and news coverage, giving name to a new form of sexism.