4 Comments
User's avatar
Bethany Raymond's avatar

I remember seeing Anita Bryant in the oj commercials when I was a kid in the 70s and then being completely shocked later in college when I learned how much she hated gay people. It was the first time I discovered that a seemingly nice public figure could actually be a complete asshole in real life. It was worse with JKR though since I was a huge fan of the books. Thank you for this.

Expand full comment
Joseph Mangano's avatar

As with many people on this issue, I hope J.K. Rowling changes her tune of recognition of trans rights. That said, I'm not holding my breath waiting.

Expand full comment
Mark Josephson's avatar

Seems to me from my recall (I was a kid in the 70s) that Bryant was far more invested in her anti-gay campaign than Rowling is with her TERFness. Not that Rowling isn’t a terrible person in her own way but I don’t think she rises to Bryant levels of awfulness. But I’ll let you try to convince me a second time. :)

Expand full comment
ranglecat's avatar

I read a book recently called Reaganland about how the Ronald Reagan campaign from 1976 through 1980 completely restructured politics in the United States. Anita Bryant was mentioned a lot. If you were a kid in the 70s in the US no doubt Anita Bryant was all over the place being a popular singer who wasn't a hippy liberal. That's probably where the difference lies right now; JK Rowling isn't part of a transformative political campaign like the Reagan movement, possibly because she still wants the Gen-Z version of hippy liberals to see her new Harry Potter movies.

Expand full comment