Citizens for Decent Literature was a pro-
censorship
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governmen ...
advocacy body founded in 1956 in
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
by the Roman Catholic anti-pornography campaigner
Charles Keating
Charles Humphrey Keating Jr. (December 4, 1923 – March 31, 2014) was an American sportsman, lawyer, real estate developer, banker, financier, conservative activist, and convicted felon best known for his role in the savings and loan sc ...
which advocated reading classics, not "smut". Many priests were also involved in this organization.
It was later renamed a number of times to various names, the best known of which was Citizens for Decency through Law.
It would grow to 300 chapters and 100,000 members nationwide and become the largest anti-pornography organization in the nation.
Over the following 20 years the organization mailed some 40 million letters on behalf of its position and had filed ''
amicus curiae
An amicus curiae (; ) is an individual or organization that is not a Party (law), party to a legal case, but that is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case. Wheth ...
'' briefs. The organization was one of three national groups involved in the 1980's anti-pornography efforts which resulted in the
Meese Report
The Meese Report (named for Edwin Meese), officially the ''Final Report of the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography'', is the result of an investigation into pornography ordered by U.S. President Ronald Reagan. It was published in July 198 ...
.
Under the name Citizens for Decency through Law, the CDL was still active as of 2002, although it did not have a website.
See also
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Churchmen's Committee for Decent Publications
*
National Legion of Decency
The National Legion of Decency, also known as the Catholic Legion of Decency, was an American Catholic group founded in 1934 by the Archbishop of Cincinnati, John T. McNicholas, as an organization dedicated to identifying objectionable content i ...
*
National Organization for Decent Literature
References
Book censorship in the United States
1956 establishments in Ohio
Christian organizations based in the United States
Organizations that oppose LGBTQ rights in the United States
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