Anita Bryant was a well-known pop singer who bid adieu to the world on December 16, 2024, at the age of 84. She was a diehard evangelical Christian famous for her anti-LGBTQ+ rights activism in the 1970s and is most remembered for the unsavoury 1977 pie-throwing event by gay activist Tom Higgins.
She is also known for her “Save Our Children” campaign, which precipitated the reversal of anti-discrimination laws in Florida. However, the stand taken by her led to protests across the nation, culminating in the famous pie-throwing event by gay activist Tom Higgins.
For the unversed, Anita Bryant was not a pushover and led a crusade against LGBTQ+ rights in the 1970s. She was Miss Tulsa and also bagged second place for Miss America. An acclaimed pop singer and spokesperson for Florida Orange Juice, she also gave performances at the halftime show of Super Bowl V in 1971.
However, it is her strong views against gay rights that brought her into the political limelight.
On October 14, 1977, when Anita Bryant was in the middle of a speaking tour in Des Moines, Iowa, gay activist Tom Higgins threw a pie at Bryant’s face.
Anita Bryant was deeply affected by the event but soon regained composure and said,
“At least it’s a fruit pie.”
She even offered a prayer for Higgins but was overcome with emotions and burst into tears.
The incident soon became a rallying point for advocates of LGBTQ+ rights.
Anita Bryant did not stop there, and in 1977 she was the face of the “Save Our Children” initiative, which fought against anti-discrimination laws safeguarding LGBTQ+ rights.
She was credited with the reversal of Dade County, Florida’s law that banned discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment and housing.
Anita Bryant always advocated the view that depicting homosexuality as harmful and unethical was in line with Christian family principles. She argued that the ordinance was contrary to these principles.
Anita Bryant’s oratory appealed to many who had concerns over “child recruitment” by gay people. However, she was criticized for her campaign by LGBTQ+ activists, who charged her with encouraging hate and intolerance.
