Recently in class we have gone over lots the civil rights movement for numerous groups such as African-Americans, women, and latinos. However, there was another important movement that came from that time: the gay liberation movement. At the time, in many areas being gay was illegal, so it was ideal for them to be secretive about their relations. However, beginning in the late 1960s people started to be more comfortable and confident in themselves. One of the biggest opponents of the gay rights movement was Anita Bryant. So who was she?
Bryant was born in 1940, but her parents divorced early in her life. From an early age, Bryant was a performer and sang in talent shows often. In 1958, she became Miss Oklahoma with her talent being singing. It was during this time when her singing career started to take off, with her most notable song being "Paper Roses". In 1969, Bryant became a spokesman for the Florida Citrus Commission, and gained more national recognition in an orange juice ad.
In 1977, Bryant's interests changed. She would divert her attention to repeal an ordinance in Dale County, Florida which prohibited discrimination against gays. Bryant formed a political coalition called "Save Our Children". She argued that homosexuals were taking children away from people and making them become gay. Bryant was able to succeed in repealing the ordinance, however the victory came at a cost as her opponents would promote a boycott of orange juice, the product she was most associated with.
Her political views would end up hurting her in the long run, as the Florida Citrus Commission didn't renew her contract after it expired. She lost support from devout Christians after a divorce. In the late 90s Bryant would file for bankruptcy, a far fall from a promising singing career.
Impact:
Bryant was seen as one of the biggest roadblocks to the gay rights movement, with her aggressive campaigning now being infamous. She serves as a lesson for future celebrities to withdraw their political views on controversial topics in order to maintain a reputation.
Interesting post about Anita Bryant. I liked how you provided information about her childhood and upbringing to give background to her views. Bryant brings up the issue of celebrities in politics. Should celebrities be allowed to share their political opinions because they have power, or should they keep to just doing their jobs? For more information, go to: http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-celebrities-keep-out-of-politics
ReplyDeleteGreat article on not only Bryant's effect on the gay rights movement, but also her earlier history before the time that made her famous. This article brings up an interesting point about the power that famous people have over topics such as the gay rights movement and how they must be careful of what they say due to the influence that they can have. Well done overall.
ReplyDeleteGreat article on not only Bryant's effect on the gay rights movement, but also her earlier history before the time that made her famous. This article brings up an interesting point about the power that famous people have over topics such as the gay rights movement and how they must be careful of what they say due to the influence that they can have. Well done overall.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNice post! It is very interesting that Anita Bryant was clearly so ignorant, but believed herself enough to throw her career away. Here is a website with more about the resistance against the gay liberation movement:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.socialism.com/drupal-6.8/articles/gay-resistance-hidden-history-%E2%80%94-part-i
This was a great post because you intertwined various topics into this one biography. It is interesting to see how there were states like California that had completely legalized homosexual activity by 1976, but there were still plenty of opponents on the other hand. Do you think regional differences also contributed to how her views were shaped? Midwestern/Southern states are typically less tolerant on minority's rights. Like you mentioned, it is important for well-known celebrities to really be careful about what they say because simple words could put their careers/associated people's careers on the line.
ReplyDelete