Anita Bryant

Anita Jane Bryant (March 25, 1940 – December 16, 2024) was an American singer and political activist, known for anti-gay activism. She had three Top 20 hits in the United States in the early 1960s. She was the 1958 Miss Oklahoma beauty pageant winner, and a brand ambassador from 1969 to 1980 for the Florida Citrus Commission. In the 1970s, Bryant became known as an outspoken opponent of gay rights in the U.S. In 1977, she ran the "Save Our Children" campaign to repeal a local ordinance in Miami-Dade County, Florida, that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Her involvement with the campaign was condemned by gay rights activists. They were assisted by many other prominent figures in music, film, and television, and retaliated by boycotting the orange juice that she promoted. Though the campaign ended successfully with a 69% majority vote to repeal the ordinance on June 7, 1977 (Dade County restored the ordinance in 1998), it permanently damaged her public image, and her contract with the Florida Citrus Commission was terminated three years later. This, as well as her later divorce from Bob Green, damaged her financially. Bryant never regained her former prominence and filed for bankruptcy twice. She lives in her home state of Oklahoma, runs the Oklahoma City-based Anita Bryant Ministries International, and works with a host of charities and non-profits.

Anita Bryant is known for work in acting across film and television. New Release currently presents 22 verified screen credits connected to this profile. Selected work includes The Seventies (2015), Roger & Me (1989), The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), The Mike Douglas Show (1961), The Merv Griffin Show (1962), Tonight Starring Jack Paar (1957), Kraft Music Hall (1958), The Bell Telephone Hour (1959). The recorded credits span 1954 to 2026, including 13 movies and 9 TV shows. The filmography below lists available titles, release years and known roles. This profile is updated as additional verified information becomes available.