[rogerbinns]

Note that "free speech" is aimed at the government restricting your speech. Individuals and private venues are not required to provide free speech. (In your home, your newspaper, your website or your hotel you can restrict speech in any way you want.)

> ... yet this person was allowed to be offended and seek retribution for a comment that she heard.

The conference had a clear well thought out policy which they followed. Someone making derogatory comments about religion (yours or anyone elses) would also have been relevant to the code of conduct. Note they want the conference to be for everyone and encourage contacting staff. I have yet to see anyone faulting pycon. https://us.pycon.org/2013/about/code-of-conduct/

Generally everyone has the right to be offended for any reason. The issue is what they can expect others to do about it. You would have every right to kick people out of your house, the supermarket could use their own discretion and pulling Fox News from the air would be a dangerous precedent. On the whole I think the US is better off because of free speech, but like with things that can be used for good it can also be used for bad.