Anita Bryant, dead at 84: Singer and crusader against gay rights has passed away at home

Anita Bryant was crowned Miss Oklahoma in 1958 and went on to become the second runner-up in the Miss America pageant the following year. When it came to her singing career, she was known for her hit songs such as Till There Was You, In My Little Corner of the World and Paper Roses.

Anita Bryant sang at Republican and Democratic national conventions and also at the White House during Lyndon B Johnson’s presidency. Anita Bryant settled in Miami Beach after she wed disc jockey Bob Green in 1960.

Anita Bryant became a household name after becoming the spokesperson for the Florida Citrus Commission and also appeared in adverts for the likes of Coco-Cola, Tupperware and Holiday Inn.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Bryant’s reputation was put to the test in 1977 after she organized a “Save Our Children” movement to repeal a Miami-Dade County ordinance prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. A born-again Christian, she did not want gay people teaching schoolchildren.”

The Hollywood Reporter went on to say that “Ultimately, Bryant would pay a price. Gay rights activists targeted her and launched a nationwide boycott of Florida orange juice. Bars stopped serving screwdrivers, replacing them with a mixture of vodka and apple juice called the Anita Bryant cocktail.”

Anita Bryant divorced Bob Green and married Charles Dry in 1990. He was a former astronaut test crewman and they had been childhood sweethearts. She is survived by her children, Robert Jr., Gloria and twins William and Barbara; two stepdaughters; and seven grandchildren.