Grammy-nominated singer and Christian activist Anita Bryant, known for her anti-gay rights stance, has passed away. The singer breathed her last at her home in Edmond, Oklahoma, last month.
Here’s everything you need to know about Anita Bryant’s death.
Anita Bryant passes away at 84, claims report
An official obituary announcement has confirmed Anita Bryant’s death on December 16, 2024. Bryant was surrounded by her family and friends at the time of her demise. The obituary also mentioned Bryant’s Christian faith and her extended family in the Church who will carry forward her work. Bryant has four children, two stepdaughters, and seven grandchildren to cherish her legacy.
Bryant was born on March 25, 1940, in Barnsdall, Oklahoma. From the early years of her life, she found the Christian faith to be her guiding light, which she continued throughout. Her passion for music and art eventually prompted her to pursue a career in show business, which started with her bagging a TV show at the age of 12.
Bryant participated in various forms of art. Apart from singing, she was the 1958 Miss Oklahoma beauty pageant winner. A decade later, she also became a brand ambassador for the Florida Citrus Commission and continued until 1980. Her famous phrase, “Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine,” became a household jingle.
Additionally, she started the infamous “Save Our Children” movement in 1977 in Miami, Florida. The goal of the campaign was to change a legislated county ordinance that banned discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Bryant candidly explained her beliefs behind starting the movement in a 1978 Playboy interview. “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 said. “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.”
The singer further added, “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.”
Bryant’s anti-gay beliefs reportedly led to outrage among gay rights activists who boycotted Florida orange juice. The singer also reportedly claimed that she’d suffered a half-million dollar loss in concert bookings, which resulted from public outrage.
