Its LGBTQ+ London Pride this Saturday the 53rd anniversary of the first US gay pride march.
The UK Gay Liberation Front was formed in October 1970 and the first Pride march took place in 1972.
I was slightly too young to be involved in 1970 but certainly was active by the mid-1970s by which time the original GLF had of course in the tradition of all the best movements splintered.
Its correct to assume then the Beard Liberation Front owes its name and some of its inspiration to the GLF.
A brief note on the relationship between gay liberation and beard liberation seems in order.
The idea of ‘liberation’ which means a good deal more than having ‘rights’ on equality, important though those are, is not one perhaps that has a wide a currency as it did have decades ago.
Even so the Beard Liberation Front, formed in the mid-1990s, to campaign for the rights of the hirsute, was a nod to the idea of liberation, albeit a much more light hearted one, in the main.
It’s a while since I’ve had a discussion with a journalist about the matter so it’s worth underlining that while you can be oppressed as a result of your sexuality this is not the case with wearing a beard in general. For most people if there is an issue with having a beard the best solution is to shave it off, albeit hopefully only on a temporary basis. That is not the case if the beard is worn for religious or related cultural reasons, but here if pogonophobia raises its head, the oppression is on the basis of religion or sometimes race, not because of the beard as such.
Having, hopefully, cleared up that important and serious point back to the wider and hopefully more fun bit.
Why beard liberation? Because wearing a beard can be a liberation in terms of being able to dress and appear as you want rather than the wait society expects or wants you to appear. The link with the early days of gay liberation is hopefully clear. Outrageous sometimes, but why not?
The specific link is of course with Bear culture, the aspect of LGBT culture that focuses on beards…
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