Slow Burn: One Year – "Anita Bryant's War on Gay Rights"

Slate Podcasts | July 9, 2021 | Host: Josh Levine

Overview

This riveting episode of Slow Burn’s "One Year" series dives deep into the events of 1977 in Miami, Florida, where singer and orange juice spokeswoman Anita Bryant led a crusade to repeal a newly passed gay rights ordinance. The story unpacks an explosive public debate, the birth of modern anti-gay political activism, and the galvanized response of the American LGBTQ+ movement. Through powerful interviews, archival audio, and personal reflections, the episode not only chronicles the local struggle but also reveals its profound influence on national politics and culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Context: Miami’s Gay Rights Ordinance Debate

• Dade County Commission Hearing (Jan 18, 1977):
  • Miami, usually apathetic to local government, saw hundreds flood into the commission hearing, mainly via church groups opposing a proposed amendment to protect gay people from discrimination.
  • Ruth Shack, a commissioner, recalls, "There were hordes of people waiting to get into the building." (02:01)
  • Bob Kunst, gay activist, highlights the immediate personal stakes: "I had a knot in my stomach and a real fear of what was coming." (02:18)
  • Anita Bryant and religious conservatives mobilized around slogans like "Don’t legislate immorality" and "Protect our children."
  • Despite fierce opposition, the ordinance passes 5-3—a moment of local triumph.

2. Rise of Anita Bryant as an Anti-Gay Activist

• Bryant’s Background:
  • A pop singer, national celebrity as the Florida orange juice spokeswoman, and outspoken Christian.
  • At the public hearing, Bryant claimed, "I believe I have that right, that I can and do say no to a very serious moral issue that would violate my rights and the rights of all the decent and morally upstanding citizens." (06:22)
• Personal Fallout:
  • Bryant saw her support for Ruth Shack as a grave mistake and was personally motivated to reverse the ordinance.

3. Organizing the Opposition: Save Our Children

• Petition & Referendum:
  • Bryant convenes religious leaders to launch Save Our Children. They swiftly gather 60,000 signatures, placing the issue on the June 1977 ballot.
  • Bryant at a press conference: "Save our children from homosexuals." (20:10)
• Fear Campaign:
  • The campaign leans heavily on the lie that "homosexuals must recruit children," stoking panic with disturbing media ads.
  • Lillian Faderman, historian: "As Anita Bryant kept saying, homosexuals can't reproduce, so they have to recruit, and they're going to recruit your children into homosexuality." (28:23)
  • Bob Kunst remembers Save Our Children’s tactics: "The very first things that she did was to immediately accuse us of trying to recruit out of the high schools." (24:08)
• Personal Impact:
  • Bryant’s son, Robert Greene Jr., reflects on the homophobia in their home and the pressure he felt: “Oh, and the sickness was one you could catch if you got too close to someone else.” (29:42)

4. The LGBTQ+ Community’s Response

• Strategic Divides:
  • Activists split between confrontation (Bob Kunst) and moderation (Dade County Coalition)—even debating boycotts of orange juice.
  • Kunst quits the Coalition: "We simply said, we're not going to buy her product. This has nothing to do with whether we like orange juice or not. We like orange juice. On the other hand, she's here to take away our jobs." (25:54)
  • Orange juice boycott becomes a national symbol—with bars refusing to stock it, bumper stickers declaring “Anita Sucks Oranges,” and sabotage of juice cartons.
• Broader Mobilization:
  • Nationwide fundraising, creative protests (“Stop Anita” dances, Anita lookalike contests), and a newfound sense of urgency: “Anita Bryant became the devil of the gay rights movement. And I think that really helped...pull together.” (32:35)

5. The Referendum & Backlash

• Violence & Intimidation:
  • Activists—including people of color—face bomb threats, firebombed cars, and even suicides following intense harassment from anti-gay callers.
  • Ruth Shack describes hate-fueled physical confrontations: "A woman...pushed me against the wall and spit in my face." (39:26)
• Disastrous Campaign Tactics:
  • Debate over messaging: Should they fight smear campaigns directly, or focus on abstract civil rights?
  • Ethan Ghetto, gay campaign manager: "You want to try to change the dialogue, change the language, change the focus and the thinking to other things." (42:21)
  • Failure to showcase real-life stories of discrimination is acknowledged as a crucial mistake.

6. The Crushing Defeat & Its Paradoxes

• Referendum Results (June 7, 1977):
  • Voters repeal the ordinance by a 2-to-1 margin.
  • Anita Bryant: "Tonight, the laws of God and the cultural values of man have been vindicated. The people of Dade county, the normal majority have said, enough, enough, enough." (49:54)
  • Bob Kunst: "We were going for an emotional and sexual liberation and we said that night you could mark your calendar and your watch just like Christmas and Hanukkah were coming." (51:01)
• But Also a Rallying Cry:
  • Widespread protests erupt in cities nationwide, marking a historic wake-up call for LGBTQ+ political action.
  • Lillian Faderman: "Dade county woke us up. Dade county made us realize that we all had to be political. We all had to learn to fight homophobia. And I think that really solidified the gay rights movement." (52:51)

7. The National Consequences

• Anti-Gay Movement Grows:
  • "Normal majority" block, powered by Christian conservatives, becomes formidable in national politics, later helping to elect Ronald Reagan.
• Anita Bryant’s Personal Decline:
  • Career collapses after boycotts and controversies; becomes a symbol of hate, and is eventually dropped by sponsors and agents.
  • Even as her influence fades, violent incidents (e.g., the murder of Robert Hillsborough) and lawsuits echo her campaign’s negative legacy.

8. Family & Legacy

• Estrangement and a Changing World:
  • Anita’s granddaughter, Sara Green, tells her coming-out story and the inability to reconcile with her grandmother:
    • "I'm not gonna have a relationship with somebody who can only have one, like, on their terms." (62:13)
  • Robert Greene Jr. reflects on how Anita’s convictions continue to impact the family, voicing both empathy and sadness for her inability to accept her lesbian granddaughter.
  • The episode closes with the reiteration that, despite continued struggles, the Miami fight changed both sides of the culture war—and set the stage for future victory and activism.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "We weren't there asking anybody to endorse our lovemaking. It's none of their business."
  – Bob Kunst (03:52)

• "I felt I had won this battle, but we were going to lose the war. I saw those people out front and they were not going to let this thing happen."
  – Ruth Shack, after the ordinance passed (08:24)

• "I believe more than ever before that there are evil forces, roundabout, even perhaps disguised as something good."
  – Anita Bryant (09:47)

• "The very first things that she did was to immediately accuse us of trying to recruit out of the high schools."
  – Bob Kunst (24:08)

• "As Anita Bryant kept saying, homosexuals can't reproduce, so they have to recruit, and they're going to recruit your children into homosexuality."
  – Lillian Faderman, historian (28:23)

• “Dade county woke us up. Dade county made us realize that we all had to be political. We all had to learn to fight homophobia. And I think that that really solidified the gay rights movement.”
  – Lillian Faderman (52:51)

• "My son's blood is on her hands."
  – Mother of Robert Hillsborough, a murder victim linked to the anti-gay campaign (55:36)

• "She wants a relationship with a person who doesn't exist because I'm not the person she wants me to be."
  – Sara Green, Anita Bryant’s granddaughter, on their estrangement (62:13)

Important Timestamps

• 02:01: Ruth Shack recalls crowds at Dade County Commission hearing
• 06:22: Anita Bryant’s emotional plea at the commission hearing
• 24:08: Bob Kunst on Bryant accusing activists of recruiting children
• 28:23: Lillian Faderman on Save Our Children’s fearmongering
• 32:35: Lillian Faderman on organizing for gay rights using Anita Bryant as the enemy
• 42:21: Ethan Ghetto on the strategic error of campaign messaging
• 49:54: Anita Bryant celebrates victory after the repeal
• 52:51: Lillian Faderman calls the defeat a turning point for LGBTQ+ activism
• 55:36: The tragic consequences and lawsuits post-referendum
• 62:13: Sara Green on why she cannot reconcile with her grandmother
• 63:37-end: Personal reflections on Anita Bryant's legacy and the unresolved family rift

Tone & Style

The episode mixes reflection, pain, and grim humor, using vivid personal stories, archival audio, and first-hand interviews. Josh Levine’s narration is both empathetic and incisive, giving full weight to the era’s complexity while letting its contradictions and voices speak for themselves.

Summary prepared for those seeking a comprehensive, narrative-driven understanding of this pivotal year in American LGBTQ+ history, civil rights, and the culture wars.