Citizens for Decent Literature
Citizens for Decent Literature (CDL) is a nonprofit organization that was established in 1957 in Cincinnati by Charles H. Keating, Jr. Concerned about the representation of what he perceived as immoral content in popular media, Keating sought to mobilize local clergy and business leaders to advocate for the enforcement of laws against pornography. Over the years, CDL grew into a nationwide organization with over thirty chapters, gaining prominence in the late 1960s as a significant lobbying force. Notably, the group opposed Abe Fortas' nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court and later influenced discussions around obscenity through its involvement with President Nixon's Commission on Obscenity and Pornography.
In 1973, CDL rebranded as Citizens for Decency Through Law, reflecting its ongoing commitment to legislative advocacy. As the landscape of media and culture evolved, the organization faced challenges in maintaining its efficacy, leading to a further name change in 1989 to Children's Legal Foundation (CLF). The CLF continues to focus on raising awareness about the potential harms of pornography, particularly concerning youth, by supporting law enforcement and legislative efforts to impose regulations on obscene materials. The organization also distributes a monthly newsletter, "The CLF Reporter," to various community stakeholders, highlighting its initiatives and concerns related to obscenity and its impact on society.
Citizens for Decent Literature
Founded: 1957 (Children’s Legal Foundation since 1989)
Type of organization: Pressure group opposed to immorality in entertainment
Significance: This body grew from a local group into a nationwide organization working to eliminate pornographic and violent publications, television programs, and films
The CDL was founded in 1957 in Cincinnati by Charles H. Keating, Jr., a parent who was dismayed by displays in entertainment media of what he thought immoral. (Keating would later serve prison time for his part in the financial misdealings of a savings and loan.) He recruited local clergy and businessmen with the aim to pressure local law enforcement to close outlets for pornography. By the late 1960’s the CDL had become a nationwide organization, with more than thirty local chapters. In 1968 it proved its strength as a lobby group in the public campaign against Abe Fortas’ nomination to an associate justiceship on the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 1970 President Richard Nixon appointed Keating to the President’s Commission on Obscenity and Pornography. Unhappy with what he regarded as the overly liberal conclusions of the commission’s report, Keating and CDL members lobbied to ensure the report’s rejection.
In 1973 the CDL changed its name (but not its acronym) to Citizens for Decency Through Law, and continued with its lobbying efforts. A decade and a half later, the body found that its campaigns were becoming less effective, so it again changed its name in 1989, this time to Children’s Legal Foundation (CLF).
The group has worked to create an awareness in the United States of the harms associated with pornography and its distribution. The CLF assists law enforcement agencies and legislatures in enacting and enforcing ordinances and regulations that control pornography and obscenity that maybe harmful to youth. It publishes The CLF Reporter, a monthly newsletter distributed free to law enforcement agencies, churches, and libraries.