Anita Bryant has passed away. Bryant was an American singer and an anti-gay activist. She was 84 when she passed away on December 16, 2024. Bryan was Miss Oklahoma in 1958 and was second runner-up in the 1959 Miss America pageant. She also first appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 with Till There Was You from Broadway’s The Music Man in 1959.
In the realm of Disney, Bryant narrated the Orange Bird record album in 1971. She also sang the Orange Bird Song, which was written by the Sherman Bros. On top of this, she also appeared in animated shorts including Foods and Fun: A Nutrition Adventure and The Orange Bird and the Nutrition Bandwagon. The Florida Orange Bird was created by Disney after being contacted by the Florida Citrus Commission. Bryant had been a spokesperson for the Florida Citrus Commission since 1968 and was regularly seen pouring a glass of Orange Juice and singing “Come to the Florida Sunshine Tree.”
Throughout the beginning of her career, Bryant was known for her wholesome and positive image. This was tainted, however, in 1977 when she began her anti-gay efforts and organized a “Save Our Children” movement. This was in response to a Miami-Dade ordinance that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. A born-again Christian, Bryant wanted to repeal this initiative.
“I got involved only because they were asking for special privileges that violated the state law of Florida, not to mention God’s law,” Bryant told Playboy in a 1978 interview. “You know, when I was a child, you didn’t even mention the word homosexual, much less find out what the act was about. You knew it was very bad, but you couldn’t imagine what they tried to do, exactly, in terms of one taking a male role and the other taking a female role. I mean, it was too filthy to think about and you had other things to think about. So when I finally found out all the implications, it was a total revelation for me.”
Her stance alienated many fans and hurt her concert bookings and a deal to host a television show. Gay rights activists came out against her, comedians turned her into a punchline, and the Florida Citrus Commission dropped her as their spokesperson.
Anita Jane Bryant was born on March 25, 1940, in Barnsdall, Oklahoma. She started singing in a local Baptist church at the age of 2. In 1948, she began singing on the radio. By 1952, she had moved to Oklahoma City and was appearing on television. The following year she made her first record. Through the coming years, she continued to appear in multiple public formats. Married, divorced, and then remarried. The divorce led to many of her Christian supporters turning against her. Throughout her life, she continued to work with her ministry and attempted to rebuild her career several times to no avail. This led to more bills and unpaid taxes. She occasionally reappeared in the public eye throughout the rest of her life but mostly stayed to herself.
Bryant is survived by her children Robert Jr., Gloria and twins William and Barbara; two stepdaughters; and seven grandchildren.
