On this day, 14 October 1977, anti-gay crusader Anita Bryant was “pied” in the face by Thom Higgins, a gay rights activist. Bryant, who was already well-known as a singer, led Save Our Children, a homophobic campaigning group which successfully overturned legal protections for LGBT+ people in Dade County, Florida.
Bryant had declared about homosexuality: “I will lead such a crusade to stop it as this country has not seen before.” After being pied, Bryant burst into tears and began praying.
Bryant was also brand ambassador for Florida orange juice, which then became subjected to a mass boycott campaign. Gay bars replaced screwdrivers (vodka and orange juice cocktails) with “Anita Bryants” – made with vodka and apple juice, with the profits donated to the campaign. Bryant’s lucrative orange contract subsequently lapsed and her marriage failed, which caused her to be ostracised by some Christian fundamentalists who did not approve of her divorce. Later in life, Bryant’s homophobic views softened, and she stated she was “more inclined to say live and let live”.
In 1998, Dade County reintroduced legal protections for LGBT+ people, and efforts by Christian groups to overturn them failed.
We’ve produced a number of podcasts about LGBT+ history, you can check them out here: https://workingclasshistory.com/tag/lgbtq/ https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.1819457841572691/2109212745930531/?type=3