Anita Bryant
Anita Bryant, 1977, Associated Press.
Gay rights protesters
“Gay rights protestors picket the Miss National Teenager pageant, opposing the choice of Anita Bryant as ‘America’s Greatest American’ by the 3,500 pageant finalists,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1977, AJCP338-059k, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Photographic Archives. Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.
Background
The LGBTQ+ rights movement had grown significantly since the Stonewall Uprising in 1969. Political groups like the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force organized to protest laws that criminalized same-sex relationships and promoted the passage of antidiscrimination laws based on sexual orientation and identity. The local government of Miami-Dade County in Florida changed its antidiscrimination code in support of LGBTQ+ rights in January of 1977. Miami was the 40th city in the United States to adopt such a change in its antidiscrimination code. The amendment added protection against discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodation based on “affectional or sexual preference.”
Anita Bryant was a singer, beauty queen, and spokesperson for Florida orange juice who used her popularity to promote conservative issues. She was strongly against the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights and launched the Save Our Children campaign in opposition to the Miami antidiscrimination law. Bryant argued that it discriminated against her and other parents who wanted to teach their children Christian values. The Miami ordinance was struck down in a special election with 70% of the vote. Save Our Children gained significant support among conservative Americans, and it led to increased participation of the Christian right in politics.
About the Document
The first photograph shows Anita Bryant at a press conference for Save Our Children. The posters behind her exemplify the strategy she employed to successfully fight against LGBTQ+ rights. Anita Bryant argued that members of the LGBTQ+ community engaged in promiscuous behavior and defied traditional Christian values and gender roles. She appealed to mothers, in particular, arguing that LGBTQ+ rights corrupted children. She even accused gay men of child sexual abuse without evidence.
The second photograph depicts pro-LGBTQ+ rights protestors picketing at the Miss National Teenager pageant in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 20, 1977. The pageant’s 3,500 contestants had voted for Anita Bryant, a former pageant queen, as “America’s Greatest American.”
Vocabulary
- ordinance: An official rule from a local government.
Discussion Questions
- How did conservative Americans like Anita Bryant respond to the growing LGBTQ+ rights movement?
- What strategies did Anita Bryant and Save Our Children use to protest the LGBTQ+ rights movement?
- How did Anita Bryant influence the growing conservative political movement?
- Why is it important to study activism against social-justice movements?
- Why would women embrace conservative issues? How did the appeal to mothers draw on cultural beliefs of women and their roles?
Suggested Activities
- APUSH Connection: 9.2: Reagan and Conservatism
- Pair this resource with the life story of Beverly LaHaye. How did Anita Bryant and Beverly LaHaye promote their conservative beliefs?
- Combine this resource with the life story of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy. What challenges did LGBTQ+ activists face in fighting for their rights?
- For a larger lesson on women and the conservative movement, combine this life story with documents restricting reproductive rights, a testimony about music censorship, and the life stories of Beverly LaHaye, Sandra Day O’Connor, and Phyllis Schlafly.
Themes
ACTIVISM AND SOCIAL CHANGE; POWER AND POLITICS
