The Fletter below appears in the Guardian on 24th April
Prejudice against the follicly challenged is unacceptable, and so is that against beard wearers (Letters, 19 April). People should be appraised on who they are and what they do, not how they appear.Keith FlettOrganiser, Beard Liberation Front
One of the founding principles of the Beard Liberation Front back in the mid-1990s was that people should be able to dress and appear as they want. It was focused on Victorian dress codes that demanded suits, ties and dresses depending on who it was aimed at.
Of course there are few if any absolutes. While the Beard Liberation Front is firmly of the view that you are never naked with a beard, in general there is an expectation that clothes will be worn and a ZZ Top lookalike doesn’t serve you at the Deli counter without a beardnet.
2024 is an Election year and the BLF is considering a relaunch of its Baldies and Beardies Alliance. Image is important in politics, sometimes too important. Certainly for senior politicians being follicly challenged or wearing a beard does not always seem to be a vote winner. Until that changes the work of the BLF is not done.
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