Anita Bryant
Anita Bryant, an American singer and vicious anti-gay activist, has done more to set back gay-rights and BoyLovers than any other recent public figure. Her appearances at U.S. Congressional hearings did much to demonize us. Her Save our children campaign did much to destroy our chances to any time soon be accepted by society.
Good descriptions of her tactics, and the damage she has done, may be found in Jenkins, Philip (1998). Moral panic: changing concepts of the child molester in modern America. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. pp. 207–231. See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Jenkins
Moral panic
Bryant set off the current "moral panic" about pedophiles.
The British television show Brass Eye, by Chris Morris satirised the moral panics around drug use and pedophilia in the episodes "Drugs" and the special "Paedogeddon". In these episodes, celebrities and politicians were duped into appearing in fictional campaigns against social ills. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_Eye#Paedophilia_special_.282001.29
See also:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_panic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Cohen_(sociologist) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_entrepreneur https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satanic_ritual_abuse
For further biographical info, see also
- For a "gay friendly" bio, see:
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/bryant_anita.html
- For other information, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Bryant http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Anita_Bryant_Story http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Save_Our_Children http://quote.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Bryant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Save_Our_Children
