The Beard Liberation Front (BLF) is a British interest group which campaigns in support of beards and opposes pogonophobicdiscrimination against those who wear them. It was founded in 1995 by socialist historian Keith Flett who continues to organise and represent the organisation. Apart from its numerous campaigns in support of beards and against pogonophobia in the workplace and discrimination against those who wear beards as part of their religion, it currently hosts the annual Beard of the Year award.[1]
On the face of it, the campaign is semi-humorous, with its outwardly frivolous aims, its occasionally outlandish claims of discrimination and conspiracy, and its founder, who is also the spokesman for the Campaign for Real Conkers.[2] However, the organisation has drawn attention to more serious issues, having spoken out against, among other incidents, the suspension of a fireman for refusing to shave off his goatee and the banning of beards among ExxonMobil oil workers (in both cases employers claimed that beards interfered with breathing apparatus).[3][4] Flett believes that an issue of "real discrimination" exists against men with beards. Although he admits that a beard, unlike race and gender, is a matter of choice, he has claimed that beardism is associated with more serious forms of discrimination:[5]
Those employers who ban their male workers from having beards – a growing number, incidentally – are also the same employers who demand that their female workers wear skirts not trousers, and who rigorously discriminate when it comes to annual appraisal time against anyone who does not conform to the stereotype of a young, single white man in a suit.
The size of the organisation is unknown; Flett refers to the organisation as "an informal network" and has claimed "a few hundred supporters" in the past.[6] He is the organisation's sole spokesman in the media.
Campaigns
Robin Cook, first modern Foreign Secretary to sport a beard
On the occasion of its founding, Keith Flett claimed that "Beards are politically progressive. All the great revolutionary socialists had a beard. Stalin had a moustache." The BLF soon took up the cause of beards in British politics. In 1996 the BLF called for a bearded man to be appointed to the Cabinet. According to Independent diarist Eagle Eye, sources from the Labour Party, then in opposition, promised that if they were elected, the cabinet would include the first bearded minister since Baron Passfield in 1929. Upon Labour's victory in the general election a year later, the bearded Robin Cook was duly appointed Foreign Secretary. Since then, however, the BLF has regarded New Labour as obsessed with a clean-shaven image, with some notable exceptions (including David Blunkett and Charles Clarke).[7]
In 1998 the BLF expressed outrage at actor Sean Connery being denied a knighthood, claiming that "normally reliable New Labour sources" had told them that the reason was his beard.[8] Connery himself said that his knighthood was delayed because of his support for Scottish independence,[9] while others[who?] pointed out his tax exile status and previous remarks that some[who?] complained condoned violence against women.[10] Connery was eventually knighted in 2000.
In 2000 the BLF joined the anti-capitalist May Day protests with a "mass beard waggle", decrying the waste of natural resources involved in producing shaving foam and brushes.[11] It also claimed that Robert Burns had a beard, and that contemporary pictures of him which depict the Scottish poet as clean-shaven were a manufactured image designed to make him more popular to the English. The Burns Federation said that there was no evidence to support Flett's claims, and said that he was "talking through his beard".[12]
In 2002 the BLF called for a semi-boycott of the second Harry Potter film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, citing the continued presence of obviously fake beards worn by actors Robbie Coltrane and Richard Harris. Flett claimed that the Christmas season was the worst time of year for beardist taunts, with the Potter movies adding to the ammunition already given by Father Christmas. Acknowledging that the pressure from beardies' children would be too great to consider an outright boycott, he said that supporters were merely being encouraged to hiss and boo at the screen.[6]
In 2006 the BLF joined the ranks of organisations issuing health advice during the record-breaking heat wave by advising beard-wearers to trim their beards, cover them with handkerchiefs and to keep them cool by placing them "briefly in the freezer department of a fridge or dipping [them] in a pint of real ale".[13]
The BLF boycotted the 2007 World Beard and Moustache Championships as they said the event was over obsessive about the cutting and styling of whiskers rather than the pure cultivation of beards. They were also angered by the Handlebar Club who were hosting the event because of their full club membership ban of those who possess a beard of any description. Handlebar moustache wearer and satirist Michael "Atters" Attree who was Honorable Chairman and Master of Ceremonies of the 2007 championships (and sits upon the committee of the Handlebar Club) said that the BLF's attitude towards his London-based club's handling of the WBMC was "Nonsense and utter Poppycock." He stated: "One's personal grooming is of the utmost importance if one is to be a gentleman. Often it's the beard clubs that have been the WBMC hosts. We are just showing the beardies how to do it properly."[14] Commenting on the Socialist aspirations of the BLF, Attree stated: "I'd rather be shot by a moustachioed fascist than bored to death by the BLF".[15]
In 2007 during the Labour leadership campaign, the Beard Liberation Front held group discussions and decided to endorse Charles Clarke for the position, although he eventually announced he was not standing and would be backing Gordon Brown. Organiser Keith Flett was reported as saying:[16]
He has a very recognisable public persona and it is a million miles from the clean shaven man in a suit image that characterises the Blair and Brown years and which both David Cameron and Sir Menzies Campbell copy. We believe Britain is ready for a bearded PM.
In June 2010 Keith Flett announced that the BLF had set the 2010 Beards and Sandals season to run from 6 June to 31 August.[17]
In 2000, Frank Dobson was named "Beard 2000", amid controversy over his claim that Labour spin doctors had told him to shave off his prize-winning beard for the upcoming elections for Mayor of London. Dobson said that he had told them to "Stick it up their wickit".[18]
The 2004 Beard of the Year was held jointly by cricketer Andrew Flintoff and NATFHE union leader Paul Mackney, due to the close polling between them.[20]
England's loss of the Ashes the following year did not prevent the 2006 award going to a cricketer for the third year running; this time to England spin-bowler Monty Panesar, who narrowly won with 30 percent of the vote. Cuban President Fidel Castro was second with 29 percent; Paul Mackney was again third, tying with Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams with 10 percent each.[22][23]
2012 saw the award presented to journalist and radio broadcaster Robin Lustig.[31]
Michael Eavis, who organises the Glastonbury Festival was awarded Beard of the Noughties, beating former Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Keith Flett said "Both Eavis and Castro have taken a back seat towards the end of the decade but their beards remain iconic. Michael Eavis is a true hirsute icon of the Noughties and he beat Castro to the accolade by the merest whisker."[27]
In 2013 Gareth Malone won the Beard of the Year. He beat John Hurt, Geoff Parling, and Jeremy Paxman, who made it to the shortlist, but fell outside the top 3, despite having one of the most discussed beards of 2013.[32]
2013 also saw the first St. David's Day Beard of Wales award, which went to Adam Jones. Leigh Halfpenny won in 2014, and Joe Ledley won in 2016.[33] 2015 was won jointly by brewer Toby Copestake and musician Chris Fox.[34] The latter also came second in 2016[35] and won outright in 2017.[36]
Winners in the 2020s include cricketer Mooen Ali in 2022, and Mayor of North Tyne Jamie Driscoll in 2023. 2021 saw Michael Rosen become the first consecutive winner, having been joint 2020 winner alongside Michael Sheen.[37]
Units outside Britain
In March 2012, Keith Flett corresponded with Zorko Sirotić, Croatian visual artist, and appointed him head of the BLF's Central and Eastern Europe unit. Flett announced this via his Twitter page on 9 March.[38]
A beard is the hair that grows on the jaw, chin, upper lip, lower lip, cheeks, and neck of humans and some non-human animals. In humans, usually pubescent or adult males are able to start growing beards, on average at the age of 21.
A moustache is a growth of facial hair grown above the upper lip and under the nose. Moustaches have been worn in various styles throughout history.
Sir Athelstan Joseph Michael Eavis is an English dairy farmer and the co-creator of the Glastonbury Festival, which takes place at his farm in Pilton, Somerset.
Test Match Special is a British sports radio programme, originally, as its name implies, dealing exclusively with Test cricket matches, but currently covering any professional cricket. The programme is available on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra (digital) and on BBC Sounds to the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. TMS provides ball-by-ball coverage of most Test cricket, One Day International, and Twenty20 matches and tournaments involving the England cricket team.
Andrew Flintoff, nicknamed Freddie, is an English television and radio presenter, former international cricketer, and coach for the England cricket squad. Flintoff played all forms of the game and was one of the sport's leading all-rounders, a fast bowler, middle-order batsman, and slip fielder. He was consistently rated by the ICC as being among the top international all-rounders in both ODI and Test cricket.
Stephen James Harmison, is an English former first-class cricketer, who played all formats of the game. Primarily a fast bowler, he represented England in 63 Tests, 58 ODIs, and 2 T20s. He also played county cricket for Durham and Yorkshire.
William Howard Frindall, was an English cricket scorer and statistician, who was familiar to cricket followers as a member of the Test Match Special commentary team on BBC radio. He was nicknamed the Bearded Wonder by Brian Johnston for his ability to research the most obscure cricketing facts in moments, while continuing to keep perfect scorecards and because he had a beard. Angus Fraser described Frindall as "the doyen of cricket scorers" in his obituary in The Independent.
Mudhsuden Singh "Monty" Panesar is a former English international cricketer. A left-arm spinner, Panesar made his Test cricket debut in 2006 against India in Nagpur and One Day International debut for England in 2007. In English county cricket, he last played for Northamptonshire in 2016, and has previously played for Northamptonshire until 2009, Sussex from 2010 to 2013 and Essex from 2013 to 2015. He has also played for the Lions in South Africa.
Keith Flett is a British socialist historian and a prolific letter writer in the British press.
Robin Francis Lustig is a British journalist and radio broadcaster, who has presented programmes for the BBC World Service and BBC Radio 4.
The 2006–07 cricket series between Australia and England for The Ashes was played in Australia from 23 November 2006 to 5 January 2007. Australia won the series and regained the Ashes that had been lost to England in the 2005 series. The five Tests of the series were played at Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. In winning, Australia completed a 5–0 "whitewash", the first time this had happened in an Ashes series since 1920–21. The series was also notable for the retirement of four significant Australian players, namely Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. Ricky Ponting was named Player of the Series.
The World Beard and Moustache Championships is a biennial competition hosted by the World Beard and Moustache Association (WBMA), in which men with beards and moustaches display lengthy, highly styled facial hair.
The American Mustache Institute (AMI) is an advocacy organization and registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit originally based in St. Louis, Missouri. In 2013, it moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
A beard tax is a governmental policy that requires men to pay for the privilege of wearing a beard. The most well documented beard tax was in place in Russia during the 18th century.
Facial hair in the military has been at various times common, prohibited, or an integral part of the uniform.
Pogonophobia is the fear of beards.
The Mustache Gang is a term coined for the 1972 Oakland Athletics baseball team, a team that broke the traditionally conservative baseball views by sporting mustaches. From the change in American men's fashion away from facial hair in the 1920s to the early 1970s, there had only been two baseball players who had facial hair during the regular season: Stanley "Frenchy" Bordagaray of the Brooklyn Dodgers, who was then ordered to shave by his manager, and Wally Schang of the Philadelphia A's.
Secular laws regulating hairstyles exist in various countries and institutions.
Adrian Masters is a Welsh journalist, presenter, author and political moderator.
References
↑ Mastandrea, Ashley (21 June 2006). "They do what ...? Byways of the charity world – Beard Liberation Front". Third Sector.
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