April 2, 2025 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

Anita Bryant, Infamous Anti-Gay Bigot, Died at 84 Last Month

Bryant “Save Our Children” Campaign Targeted LGBTQ rights

Anita Bryant, the pop singer and former Oklahoma beauty queen who gained fame as the face of Florida orange juice before becoming a divisive figure in the battle over gay rights, has died. She was 84. Bryant’s family announced that she died on Dec. 16 at her home in Edmond, Oklahoma. 

Bryant first rose to prominence in the 1960s as a singer with pop hits such as “Paper Roses” and as the spokesperson for the Florida Citrus Commission. 

However, her turn to “activism” in the late 1970s dramatically altered her public persona. In 1977, Bryant launched the “Save Our Children” campaign to repeal a Miami-Dade County ordinance that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation. The campaign was successful, and the ordinance was repealed by popular vote that year. It wasn’t reinstated until 1998.

Bryant’s campaign made her famous and popular among the religious right, but it also solidified her as a symbol of opposition for LGBTQ rights activists. Her activism extended to supporting California’s 1978 Briggs Initiative, which sought to ban public school employees from making pro-gay statements or supporting gay rights. The initiative was ultimately defeated by a wide margin, with even conservative Governor Ronald Reagan opposing it.

The backlash to Bryant’s crusades crushed her career. LGBTQ activists organized a nationwide boycott of Florida orange juice, leading to her dismissal as the brand’s spokesperson in 1980. Bryant was famously hit in the face with a banana cream pie by a gay activist named Tom Higgins on October 14, 1977. 

Bryant published a memoir, Anita Bryant Story: The Survival of Our Nation’s Families and the Threat of Militant Homosexuality, in which she claimed that LGBTQ individuals “recruited children” because they “could not reproduce.”

In recent years, Bryant’s legacy was revisited when her granddaughter, Sarah Green, who identifies as gay, publicly announced her engagement to her fiancée. Bryant had once claimed in an interview that she “loves homosexuals but hates their sin.” She also claimed that God talked to her and told her to oppose LGBTQ rights.

in NEWS
Related Posts

Put the Phone Down: LAPD and CHP Targets Distracted Drivers in April Crackdown

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Hands-Free Law Violations Could Now Cost You More Than Just a Fine Throughout April, the Los Angeles Police Department will...

Kim Delaney, Partner Cleared After Weekend Arrest in Marina del Rey

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Emmy-Winning Actress and Partner James Morgan Released Kim Delaney, the Emmy-winning actress recognized for her roles in NYPD Blue and...

Matū Kai to Debut in Brentwood With Grass Fed Wagyu and Global Flair This Week

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Farm-To-Fork Beef, Wood-Fired Flavors, and Sustainability Meet on San Vicente The team behind Beverly Hills’ acclaimed steakhouse Matū will soon...

Mid-City Freeway Death Under Investigation After Caltrans Workers Find Blanket-Covered Body

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Woman Discovered on 10 Freeway Shoulder Identified; CHP Launches Probe Caltrans workers discovered a woman’s dead body around 9:00 a.m....

Community Support Saves Beloved West Hollywood Café from Closure

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Packed Tables and Emotional Messages Helped Keep the Doors Open Le Petit Four, the popular Sunset Boulevard café known for...

Egg Beaters Recalled Over Possible Chemical Contamination

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Massive Liquid Egg Recall Includes California Shipments Cargill Kitchen Solutions is recalling approximately 212,268 pounds of liquid egg products after...

Los Angeles County’s Measure A Raises Sales Tax On April 1, And It’s No Joke

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Culver City, and Malibu Will See Higher Increases Starting April 1, Los Angeles County residents will...

Robbery Boast on Instagram Helps Send Beverly Hills Heist Suspect to Prison

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Flashy Post, Federal Time: Smash-and-Grab Mastermind Sentenced Ladell Tharpe, 39, received an 84-month sentence from U.S. District Judge George H....

Actress Kim Delaney Arrested After Domestic Dispute; Partner Also Charged

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Marina del Rey Police Arrest “NYPD Blue” Actress After Alleged Altercation Actress Kim Delaney, known for her Emmy-winning role on...

Union Workers at UCLA to Strike April 1 Over Staffing Shortages, Labor Disputes

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Healthcare and Research Staff at UC to Strike, Alleging Unfair Labor Practices More than 20,000 healthcare, research, and technical professionals...

Full House Creator’s Cielo Drive Estate Returns With Massive Price Drop

March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025

Franklin’s Mansion, Once the Site of the Manson Tragedy, Back on Market Full House creator Jeff Franklin is returning to...

Santa Monica, Beverly Hills See Real Estate Shifts After L.A. Wildfires

March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025

Beverly Hills and Brentwood Listings Triple in Wake of January Fires Home sales and listings have shifted dramatically across Westside...

Deputies Open Fire on Suspect in West Hollywood, Triggering Street Closures

March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025

Suspect Shot by LASD in West Hollywood Domestic Violence Response Authorities are investigating a shooting that occurred Saturday evening in...

West Hollywood Resident Returns, Vandalizes Property, 30 Minutes After Eviction

March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025

“Neighbor From Hell” Tried to Re-Enter His Apartment and Damaged Property Valentino Lopez, a 41 year old, male Hispanic, was...

New Deadline, More Access: LA County Debris Program Expands Scope, Extends Signup

March 30, 2025

March 30, 2025

Officials Broaden Scope to Help More Residents, Encourage Early Submission Los Angeles County officials have announced that FEMA has agreed...