30 Good Controversial Speech Topics

Here is a list of good controversial speech topics to consider using for your next presentation.

Remember these are ideas for controversial speeches, so you don’t want to just inform your audience of the subject. You need to pick a side and make an argument that your view on the topic is the right one.

Good Controversial Speech Topics – 1 to 10

• alcohol has a greater negative impact on society than marijuana
• use of certain performance enhancing drugs should/should not be allowed by athletes
• condoms should/should not be offered in high schools
• the voting age should be lowered to 16
• parental consent should/should not be required for underage pregnant women to have abortions
• gay couples should/should not be given the same legal rights as heterosexuals in adopting children
• couples should/should not be banned from adopting children overseas
• the USA and its allies should/should not have invaded Afghanistan
• age discrimination should/should not be made illegal in the workplace
• age of consent laws should/should not be lowered
  

11 to 20

• the sale and consumption of alcohol should be illegal
• attorney-client privilege should/should not be abolished
• the assassination of a dictator can/cannot be justified
• assisted suicide should/should not be legalised
• beauty contests are/are not harmful
• boxing should/should not be banned
• voting in elections should/should not be compulsory
• the Confederate flag should/should not be banned
• corporal punishment is/is not a justifiable method of punishing children
• schools should/should not be allowed to teach creationism along with evolution

21 to 30

• the “double jeopardy” rule should/should not be abolished
• public officials should/should not be randomly tested for drugs
• feminism is/is not relevant today
• there should/should not be public schools open to only one race
• it is/is not justifiable to force gay/lesbian celebrities out of the closet in the interest of gay rights
• polygamy should/should not be legal
• countries that benefited from slavery should/should not compensate the descendents of slaves
• schools should/should not have the right to search students’ lockers
• voting rights in the United Nations General Assembly should/should not be restricted countries with democratic political systems
• violent video games should/should not be banned or restricted

I hope you found a few good controversial speech topics that inspired you! If you’ve written a controversial speech and would like to share it with visitors to Best Speech Topics, please send it in! I’d love to hear from you.