I resonate with the idea of "free speech" in terms of avoiding government oppression, it is a really important and foundational idea. As a catch-all, however, I don't think it works quite so well in the age of social media. Ideas are spreading like wildfire which have no rhyme or reason to them, that cater to psychological maws and not facts, and a bulwark of free speech arms liars with the power to reach millions with a few keystrokes. The power of reason has consistently lost to more blunt instruments. So I think it's, at best, neutral for social media platforms to drop people that aren't woke. As for legal constructs aiming to protect minorities, they don't plausibly set up a slippery slope to dictatorship in my view. I'm of the view that literal absolute free speech that allows any speech no matter how directly harmful or immediately dangerous is itself detrimental to a well-functioning society and public safety.

I often notice transphobic people trying argue that "free speech" is being eroded around bills impacting trans and find this unpersuasive, even childish.