Letter to the Editor
“They Forgot God”
Sir,
This letter is intended for publication in the English Churchman.
Does any reader recognise the initials GLF and NFOL from around half-a-century ago? GLF means Gay Liberation Front and NFOL means Nationwide Festival of Light.
Whatever your recollection or appraisal of the NFOL or its well known adherents including Malcolm Muggeridge, Lord Longford, Mrs Whitehouse, Cliff Richard, the cross-bearing evangelist the Rev Arthur Blessitt and The Salvation Army, they held a large rally in Trafalgar Square in 1971 with a subsequent march to Hyde Park to counter the “moral pollution” of sex, drugs, rock’n’roll, the contraceptive pill, abortion etc, produced by the permissive society which exploded into a frenzy on to the scene in the swinging 1960s. Just prior to that, a nationwide day of prayer was held on 19 September.
The NFOL encountered loud opposition from the GLF including men in drag trying to disrupt proceedings. Back then, the mere public appearance of men dressed in women’s clothing was regarded as likely to cause a breach of the peace. Consequently, arrests were made and convictions later secured – see attached photograph. Of note, the arrested male participants in drag were not as scantily dressed as they are nowadays, nor were they targeting children on that occasion.
Moreover, when The Lord’s Prayer was read, policemen joined in voluntarily with others by respectfully doffing their helmets and kneeling down! Well, well, well, a distinct change compared to nowadays when the police in rainbow make-up garishly dance around at gay pride marches and take the knee to BLM supporters.
A book entitled “Fighting for Love, Purity, Marriage and Family Life”, by Steve Stevens DFC, is highly relevant to the subject matter of this letter – even its title and table of contents are stirring.
