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'''Anita Jane Bryant''' (born March 25, 1940) is an American singer and anti-gay
From 1977 to 1980, Bryant was an outspoken opponent of [[gay rights]] in the U.S. In 1977, she ran the "[[Save Our Children]]" campaign to repeal a local ordinance in [[Miami-Dade County, Florida]], that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Her involvement with the campaign was condemned by gay rights activists. They were assisted by many other prominent figures in music, film, and television, and retaliated by [[1977-80 Florida orange juice boycott|boycotting the orange juice]] that she promoted. Though the campaign ended successfully with a 69% majority vote to repeal the ordinance on June 7, 1977 (Dade County restored the ordinance in 1998), it permanently damaged her public image, and her contract with the Florida Citrus Commission was terminated three years later. This, as well as her later divorce from Bob Green, damaged her financially.<ref name="sptimes">{{cite news |url=http://www.sptimes.com/2002/04/28/State/Bankruptcy__ill_will_.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123001005/http://www.sptimes.com/2002/04/28/State/Bankruptcy__ill_will_.shtml |archive-date=January 23, 2011 |title=Bankruptcy, ill will plague Bryant |first=Thomas C. |last=Tobin |newspaper=St. Petersburg Times |date=April 28, 2002 |access-date=June 14, 2011}}</ref> Bryant never regained her former prominence and filed for bankruptcy twice. She lives in her home state of Oklahoma, runs the Oklahoma City-based Anita Bryant Ministries International, and works with a host of charities and non-profits.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Edmond Life & Leisure |url=https://edmondlifeandleisure.com/anita-bryant-one-of-states-most-famous-citizens-calls-edmond-home-p893-1.htm |access-date=January 12, 2023 |website=edmondlifeandleisure.com}}</ref>
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==Career==
Bryant released several albums on the [[Carlton Records|Carlton]] and [[Columbia Records|Columbia]] labels. Her first album,
Bryant had a moderate pop hit with the song "[[Till There Was You]]" (1959, US No. 30), from the Broadway production ''[[The Music Man]]''. She also had three hits that reached the Top 20 in the U.S.: "[[Paper Roses]]" (1960, US No. 5, and covered by [[Marie Osmond]] 13 years later), "[[My Little Corner of the World|In My Little Corner of the World]]" (1960, US No. 10), and "[[Wonderland by Night]]" (1961, US No. 18), originally a hit for [[Bert Kaempfert]]. "Paper Roses", "In My Little Corner of the World", and "Till There Was You", each sold over one million copies, and were awarded a [[music recording sales certification|gold disc]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]].<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book
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The fallout from Bryant's political activism hurt her business and entertainment career.<ref name=sptimes/> In February 1977, the [[Singer Corporation]] rescinded an offer to sponsor an upcoming weekly variety show because of the "extensive national publicity arising from [Bryant's] controversial political activities."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1977/02/25/gay-rights-dispute-stops-bryants-show/25d24a78-cb47-4003-bc2d-623662091b7b|title=Gay Rights Dispute Stops Bryant's Show|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=October 16, 2019}}</ref>
In 1978, while a member of a Baptist church, she ran for vice president of the [[Southern Baptist Convention]], but lost. Several leaders disagreed with how she rejected civil rights for gay people.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Marjorie |last1=Hyer
Bryant's marriage to Bob Green also failed at that time, and in 1980 she divorced him, citing emotional abuse and latent suicidal thoughts.<ref name="A New Day"/> Green refused to accept this, saying that his [[Christian fundamentalism|fundamentalist]] religious beliefs did not recognize civil divorce and that she was still his wife "in God's eyes".<ref>{{cite news|author=Steve Rothaus |url=http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2007/06/bob_green_anita.html |title=Bob Green: Anita's ex paid dearly in the fight |newspaper=[[The Miami Herald]]|access-date=May 5, 2012}}</ref>
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Bryant rapidly became an object of ridicule, as her image shifted from being a model Christian spokeswoman to that of a self-righteous bigot. The decline of her reputation was aided by ''[[The Tonight Show|Tonight Show]]'' host Johnny Carson, and other talk-show hosts and comedians, as they mocked her and her actions to the greater public. This led to many of her endorsements being cancelled and sponsors to drop her from their labels as she seemed to be a liability to them.<ref name="Endres-2009" />
With three of her four children, she moved from Miami to [[Selma, Alabama]], and later to [[Atlanta]], Georgia.<ref name="A New Day">{{cite book|title= A New Day|url= https://archive.org/details/newday00brya|url-access= registration|last= Bryant|first=Anita |year= 1992|publisher= Broadman |location= Nashville, TN|isbn= 9780805453522}}</ref> In a 1980 ''[[Ladies' Home Journal]]'' article she said, "The church needs to wake up and find some way to cope with divorce and women's problems." She also expressed some sympathy for feminist aspirations, given her own experiences of emotional abuse within her previous marriage.
Bryant appeared in [[Michael Moore]]'s 1989 documentary film ''[[Roger & Me]]'', in which she is interviewed and travels to [[Flint, Michigan]], as part of the effort to revitalize its devastated local economy.<ref>{{cite news |last=Howe |first=Desson |title=Roger & Me|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/rogermerhowe_a0b24d.htm|access-date=March 1, 2013|newspaper=Washington Post|date=January 12, 1990}}</ref>
Bryant married her second husband, Charlie Hobson Dry, in 1990.<ref name="A New Day"/> The couple tried to reestablish her music career in a series of small venues, including [[Branson, Missouri]], and [[Pigeon Forge, Tennessee]], where they opened
Bryant also spent part of the 1990s in [[Branson, Missouri]], where the state and federal governments both filed liens claiming more than $116,000 in unpaid taxes.
In 1996, Bryant said she was happy to be out of show business.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Richards |first=David |date=May 12, 1996 |title=ANITA BRYANT, RECONSTITUTED |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1996/05/12/anita-bryant-reconstituted/6f6ea068-dc02-4308-b9d3-a7f28a12be2f/ |access-date=January 12, 2023 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
=== Later activities ===
In 2005, Bryant returned to Barnsdall to attend the town's 100th anniversary celebration and to have a street renamed in her honor. In 2006, she founded Anita Bryant Ministries International in [[Oklahoma City]].<ref name="Mallery Nagle"/>
== Personal life ==
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==Legacy==
Bryant's name has frequently been invoked as a prototypical example of opposition to [[LGBT rights]]. When [[Elton John]] was criticized for touring Russia in 1979, he responded: "I wouldn't say I won't tour in America because I can't stand Anita Bryant".<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Elton John, To Russia with Elton John |orig-year=1979 |at=track 0:45:35 |publisher=Power Station |location=EU |year=2003}}</ref> In his song "[[Son of a Son of a Sailor|Mañana]]", [[Jimmy Buffett]] sings "I hope Anita Bryant never ever does one of my songs".<ref>Jimmy Buffett, ''Son of a Son of a Sailor'' (lyrics/liner notes; ABC Records, 1978)</ref> In 1978, [[David Allan Coe]] recorded the song "Fuck Aneta Briant" {{sic}} on his album ''[[Nothing Sacred (David Allan Coe album)|Nothing Sacred]]''.<ref>{{cite web|author = Walter Beck|url = http://www.polarimagazine.com/classicmusic/sacred-david-allan-coe/|title = Nothing Sacred • David Allan Coe|website=Polarimagazine.com|date = March 21, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://allmusic.com/album/nothing-sacred-r105965 |title=Nothing Sacred |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=January 8, 2017}}</ref> California [[Punk rock in California|punk rock]] band [[Dead Kennedys]] referenced Bryant in their song "Moral Majority" from their 1981 EP ''[[In God We Trust, Inc.]]''
In 1977, the Dutch ''[[levenslied]]'' singer [[Zangeres Zonder Naam]] wrote the protest song "Luister Anita" ("Listen Up, Anita") on the occasion of the protest night "Miami Nightmare", organized in the Amsterdam [[Concertgebouw, Amsterdam|Concertgebouw]]. The nightly concert was intended to raise funds for an advertisement in ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', in which the Dutch nation was to call on the American people to protect the rights of minorities. In the song, Zangeres Zonder Naam compared Anita Bryant to Hitler and called on
| title = Zangeres zonder Naam: Ik zing en slik niet maar alles
| trans-title = Zangeres Zonder Naam: I don't sing and put up with just anything
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[[Steve Gerber]], in his ''[[Howard the Duck]]'' for [[Marvel Comics]], made an organization called the Sinister S.O.O.F.I. (Save Our Offspring from Indecency) who were led by Anita Bryant. Although it was not explicitly stated, even ''[[The New York Times]]'' called the implication "transparent".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jmdematteis.com/2017/09/gerber-day.html|title=GERBER DAY|first=J. M.|last=DeMatteis|website=Jmdemattels.com|access-date=June 11, 2021}}</ref>
Bryant was regularly lampooned on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', sometimes with her politics as the target,<ref>{{Cite episode |title= Steve Martin|series= Saturday Night Live|network= NBC|airdate= February 26, 1977|season= 2|number= 14 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite episode |title= Hugh Hefner |series= Saturday Night Live|network= NBC|airdate= October 15, 1977|season= 3|number= 3 }}</ref> sometimes her reputation as a popular, traditional entertainer known for her commercials as the target,<ref>{{Cite episode |title= Dyan Cannon|series= Saturday Night Live|network= NBC|airdate= May 15, 1976|season= 1|number= 20 }}</ref> and sometimes targeting a combination of the two.<ref>{{Cite episode |title= Burt Reynolds|series= Saturday Night Live|network= NBC|airdate= April 12, 1980|season= 5|number= 16 }}</ref> Her name was also a frequent punchline on ''[[The Gong Show]]'', such as the time host/producer [[Chuck Barris]] joked that Bryant was releasing a new Christmas album called ''Gay Tidings''. Some references were less overtly political, but equally critical. In the film ''[[Airplane!]]'', [[Leslie Nielsen]]'s character, upon seeing a large number of passengers become violently ill, vomit, and have uncontrollable flatulence, remarked: "I haven't seen anything like this since the Anita Bryant concert."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rolland |first1=Makinano |title=Haven't seen anything like this since the Anita Bryant concert! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GTzBowBrFA |website=YouTube |date=February 20, 2015 |access-date=December 29, 2022}}</ref><ref>''Airplane!'' (film), 1980, Paramount Pictures.</ref> Other television shows that targeted her were [[Soap (TV series)|''Soap'']],<ref>"Episode 1.10". ''Soap''. Season 1. Episode 10. November 22, 1977. ABC.</ref> ''[[Designing Women]]'',<ref>{{Cite episode |title= Monette |series= Designing Women|network= CBS|airdate= February 8, 1987|season= 1|number= 13 }}</ref> and ''[[The Golden Girls]]''.<ref>{{Cite episode |title= Sophia's Wedding (1) |series= The Golden Girls|network= NBC|airdate= November 19, 1988|season= 4|number= 6 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite episode |title= Big Daddy's Little Lady |series= The Golden Girls|network= NBC|airdate= November 15, 1986|season= 2|number= 6 }}</ref> She was also the target of mockery in the [[RiffTrax]] short ''Drugs Are Like That''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Drugs are Like That – Rifftrax|url=http://www.rifftrax.com/ondemand/drugs-are|website=RiffTrax|date=September 19, 2014}}</ref>
[[Armistead Maupin]], in his 1980 novel ''[[More Tales of the City (novel)|More Tales of the City]]'', used Anita Bryant's "Save Our Children" campaign to prompt a principal character to [[coming out|come out]] of [[the closet]].<ref>{{cite book |title= More Tales of the City|last= Maupin|first= Armistead |author-link= Armistead Maupin |year= 1980|publisher= Harper & Row|location= New York |isbn= 978-0-06-090726-6}}</ref>
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[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American women singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century Baptists]]
[[Category:20th-century evangelicals]]
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