Barry Duke
Encyclopedia
Barry Duke is a journalist
, atheist, gay rights activist and currently the editor of The Freethinker
.
, Duke began writing as a trainee journalist in his teens for The Springs Advertiser in 1964. After completing a course in photojournalism
in 1967, he moved to The Star (South Africa)
newspaper in Johannesburg working as an investigative journalist and The Star's chief court reporter. In 1973, Duke moved to the UK, where he continued to write anti-apartheid pieces for Argus Newspapers (now Independent News and Media).
In 1974 Duke joined publishing company Broadstrood Press whilst beginning to write regularly for The Freethinker. Leaving publishing in 1980, Duke began working as a public relations executive for British Transport Hotels
. When the company was privatized, Duke left in 1983 to work for Citigate Publishing and pursue freelance work. In 1996, Duke left Citigate to look after a terminally ill partner, but continued to write freelance. In 1997, Duke took over as the interim editor of The Freethinker
, following the death of previous editor Peter Brearey
. After six months, Duke was confirmed as the editor, and remains so to this day.
and on arriving in the UK continued supporting the African National Congress
.
Duke strongly opposed the Nationwide Festival of Light
, and worked alongside The Freethinker and National Secular Society
to try to counter its effects and influence. In 1979, Duke was a founding member of the Gay Humanist Group, (now Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association
) after Mary Whitehouse
began a private prosecution for blasphemous libel against Gay News
. After the founding of the Gay Humanist Group, Duke was very active in the promotion of gay and atheist rights and was also briefly the treasurer of the National Secular Society.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, atheist, gay rights activist and currently the editor of The Freethinker
The Freethinker (journal)
The Freethinker is a British secular humanist magazine, founded by G.W. Foote in 1881. It is the world's oldest surviving freethought publication.It has always taken an unapologetically atheist, anti-religious stance...
.
Life and career
Born in apartheid South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Duke began writing as a trainee journalist in his teens for The Springs Advertiser in 1964. After completing a course in photojournalism
Photojournalism
Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism...
in 1967, he moved to The Star (South Africa)
The Star (South Africa)
The Star is a daily newspaper based in Gauteng, South Africa. It has a readership of 840 000 and is owned by Independent News & Media. It gained worldwide attention in 2006 when it published survey results according to which about twenty percent of South African men have raped a woman in...
newspaper in Johannesburg working as an investigative journalist and The Star's chief court reporter. In 1973, Duke moved to the UK, where he continued to write anti-apartheid pieces for Argus Newspapers (now Independent News and Media).
In 1974 Duke joined publishing company Broadstrood Press whilst beginning to write regularly for The Freethinker. Leaving publishing in 1980, Duke began working as a public relations executive for British Transport Hotels
British Transport Hotels
British Transport Hotels was the brand name of the hotels and catering business associated with the nationalised railway system in Great Britain from 1953 to 1983.- Organisation :...
. When the company was privatized, Duke left in 1983 to work for Citigate Publishing and pursue freelance work. In 1996, Duke left Citigate to look after a terminally ill partner, but continued to write freelance. In 1997, Duke took over as the interim editor of The Freethinker
The Freethinker (journal)
The Freethinker is a British secular humanist magazine, founded by G.W. Foote in 1881. It is the world's oldest surviving freethought publication.It has always taken an unapologetically atheist, anti-religious stance...
, following the death of previous editor Peter Brearey
Peter Brearey
Peter Leslie Brearey was a British secularist, socialist and journalist.He was born in Dewsbury. Although his family background was Methodist, Brearey rejected religion as a teenager. He was a member of the Young Communist League and subsequently the Communist Party of Great Britain...
. After six months, Duke was confirmed as the editor, and remains so to this day.
Activism
Duke was involved in the Anti-Apartheid MovementAnti-Apartheid Movement
Anti-Apartheid Movement , originally known as the Boycott Movement, was a British organization that was at the center of the international movement opposing South Africa's system of apartheid and supporting South Africa's Blacks....
and on arriving in the UK continued supporting the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
.
Duke strongly opposed the Nationwide Festival of Light
Nationwide Festival of Light
The Nationwide Festival of Light was a grassroots movement formed by British Christians concerned about the development of the permissive society in the UK at the end of the 1960s....
, and worked alongside The Freethinker and National Secular Society
National Secular Society
The National Secular Society is a British campaigning organisation that promotes secularism and the separation of church and state. It holds that no-one should gain advantage or disadvantage because of their religion or lack of religion. It was founded by Charles Bradlaugh in 1866...
to try to counter its effects and influence. In 1979, Duke was a founding member of the Gay Humanist Group, (now Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association
Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association
The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association is a democratic, membership-based, Humanist campaigning organisation that represents the many non-religious in the lesbian and gay community in the United Kingdom and beyond...
) after Mary Whitehouse
Mary Whitehouse
Mary Whitehouse, CBE was a British campaigner against the permissive society particularly as the media portrayed and reflected it...
began a private prosecution for blasphemous libel against Gay News
Gay News
Gay News was a pioneering fortnightly newspaper in the United Kingdom founded in June 1972 in a collaboration between former members of the Gay Liberation Front and members of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality...
. After the founding of the Gay Humanist Group, Duke was very active in the promotion of gay and atheist rights and was also briefly the treasurer of the National Secular Society.