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.
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. :)
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.
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.
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.
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. :)
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.