Cheer up Anita Bryant, your sunshine state work continues on without you
Okay okay, I am throwing in the towel. Following several weeks of unsuccessfully searching for my eighteen year old self’s costume for the day of protest, my “Squeeze A Fruit for Anita” tee shirt, I shall instead celebrate locating my copy of the Schedule of Activities for the June 8, 1977 a peaceful and respectful protest of an appearance of Anita Bryant in my hometown.
On June 7, 1977, Anita Bryant’s Save Our Children campaign led to the successful repeal of the then recent Florida ordinance that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation by a margin of 69 to 31 percent.
The next day, singer entertainer Bryant appeared in performance at Norfolk, Virginia. She was met by several hundred members of the gay and lesbian community of the Hampton Roads area holding a dignified silent public protest against her as she performed in the Norfolk Scope complex.
At a press conference a few days later as she spoke of the events in Norfolk, Bryant was confronted with a pie in the face. The moment inspired her to say the not so quiet part out loud. “Well, at least it’s a fruit pie.”
Fast forward from an article last year by Molly Sprayregen in “them”, Bryant now has a gay granddaughter. According to her father, “Instead of taking her as she is,” Green’s added, “my mom has chosen to pray that Sarah will eventually conform to my mom’s idea of what God wants Sarah to be.”
