Texas v. Johnson remains one of the most pivotal free speech rulings in U.S. Supreme Court history. In 1989, the Court held in a 5–4 decision that burning the American flag as a form of political protest is constitutionally protected symbolic speech under the First Amendment.
The decision overturned the conviction of Gregory Lee Johnson, who burned a flag during the 1984 Republican National Convention. The Court rejected the argument that flag burning inherently incites violence or breaches the peace. The case continues to serve as a foundational precedent in debates over protest limits and unconstitutional censorship, especially for dissenting voices including LGBTQ activists.
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