Anita Bryant, Anti-Gay Rights Activist and Grammy-Nominated Pop Singer, Dead at 84

Anita Bryant, anti-gay rights activist and Grammy-nominated pop singer, has died. She was 84.

The “Paper Roses” musician, largely known for her conservative beliefs and as a former spokesperson for Florida oranges, died Monday, Dec. 16 at her home in Edmond, Oklahoma, her family confirmed in an obituary published Jan. 9 by The Oklahoman.

According to the publication, Bryant was surrounded by family and friends at the time of her death, the cause of which was not specified.

Born on March 25, 1940, in Barnsdall, Oklahoma, Bryant began her music career at an early age and landed her own TV show at age 12, per The Oklahoman.

She was crowned Miss Oklahoma six years later and subsequently represented the state in the 1958 Miss America pageant, finishing third, per Edmond Live & Leisure.

Bryant’s recording career took off around the same time, and she earned two top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960 with “Paper Roses” and “My Little Corner of the World.”

She sang at both the 1968 Democratic and Republican conventions, performed for U.S. troops overseas for seven consecutive years and became known for her version of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” which she did live at the 1971 Super Bowl and President Lyndon Johnson’s 1973 funeral.

Later that decade, Bryant became publicly vocal about her anti-gay views and famously stated she “loves homosexuals, but hates their sin,” per Variety — a phrase the LGBTQ+ community still mocks for its backhanded nature.

She founded a 1977 “Save Our Children” campaign in Florida’s Miami-Dade County that aimed to repeal an ordinance prohibiting sexual orientation-based discrimination. “The ordinance condones immorality and discriminates against my children’s rights to grow up in a healthy, decent community,” said Bryant at the time, per The New York Times.

A popular vote ultimately repealed the ordinance, which wasn’t put back in place for 21 years, Variety reported.

In a memorable moment from a 1977 press conference in Des Moines, Bryant was hit in the face with a pie by a pro-LGBTQ+ activist. “Well at least it’s a fruit pie,” she exclaimed before praying for the pie-thrower.

That year, Bryant was axed from plans for a variety show due to her “controversial political activities,” a TV producer said at the time, per the NYT.

She defended her anti-gay views on the basis of religion. “I got involved only because they were asking for special privileges that violated the state law of Florida, not to mention God’s law,” she told Playboy in 1978. “God says the wages of sin are death, and one little sin brings on another. The homosexual act is just the beginning of the depravity.”

The artist also advocated for California’s Briggs Initiative aiming to keep public school staffers from speaking in support of the gay community, per Variety, though the initiative ultimately failed.

Bryant received three Grammy nominations throughout her career: best sacred performance for “How Great Thou Art” in 1968, best sacred performance (musical) for her Abide with Me album in 1972 and best inspirational performance for her Anita Bryant…Naturally album in 1974.

She notably served as the spokesperson for Florida oranges from 1969 through 1980, touting the catchphrase, “Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine.” [Per Variety, many people in opposition to her homophobic views later flipped the phrase to read, “A day without human rights is like a day without sunshine.”]

For 20 years, Bryant was married to husband Bob Green, whom she divorced in 1980, according to Variety. She later married Charlie Hobson Dry in 1990; he died earlier this year.

Bryant is survived by four children, two stepdaughters and seven grandchildren, per The Oklahoman.