Calgary Gay History

This week, we were interviewed about the increasing hate and incivility directed towards Calgary’s queer community—thanks to CBC’s Terri Trembath for considering hatred’s historical context!

We can take inspiration from Calgary activist windi earthworm {he preferred lowercase letters when spelling his name}, who was fighting a similar battle 45 years ago. Back then, an American beauty pageant winner and entertainer named Anita Bryant went on an anti-gay rights tour across North America. In 1977, her campaign coined “Save Our Children,” led to the repeal of a homosexual anti-discrimination ordinance in Dade County, Florida.

She said during the campaign, “For several years I have been praying for God to revive America. And when word came that there was an ordinance in Miami that would allow known homosexuals to teach my children—God help us as a nation to stand in these dark days. There are many evil things that would claim—under the disguise of discrimination and under civil rights—would claim the civil rights of our children.”

Bryant, who lived in a 27-room waterfront villa on Miami Beach, was then making $500,000 annually in singing engagements. In a televised interview, she was asked: “Anita, you are a person with a rather sizeable investment in your career, why are you taking this stand now and perhaps jeopardizing that?” She replied: “According to the word of God it is an abomination to practice homosexuality … Our pastor said he would even burn a school before he would allow [children there] to be taught by homosexuals, and we feel as strongly.”

Galvanized by her win, she travelled across the U.S. and Canada and was able to roll back human rights gains in a several other American states in addition to getting legislated a ban on gay adoption in Florida (this ban was only overturned in 2008).

Her orange juice connection is this. From 1969 on, Bryant had been the spokesperson for the Florida Citrus Commission. She was featured internationally in commercials, singing and smiling with the well-known tagline “Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine.”

The gay community fought back against “Save Our Children.” They initiated a boycott of orange juice, publicly denounced her initiatives, and in one case threw something at her: she was the first individual ever documented to get publicly “pied.” Afterwards, she quipped: “Well, at least it is a fruit pie.”

In 1978, Anita swung through Canada as part of Renaissance International’s Christian Liberation Crusade. She made a tour stop in Edmonton on April 29, 1978. Forty Calgary activists hurried north, joining activists there, to protest her cross-Canada tour.

windi earthworm and his activist friend, My Lipton, went independently of the loosely organized “Calgarians against Anita” delegation. They decided direct action was required to disrupt Bryant’s auditorium of 6000 supporters. My remembered: “We got in under the guise that we were students doing a study about the spaces people meet in. We scoped out the stage and decided on our spot.  I helped windi chain and lock himself.”

My then went into the seats to find a spot to generate a call and response disturbance with windi, but she turned back when she noticed audience members hassling him.  She asked windi if he was OK. He replied, “Yeah, except these really kind Christian folk are ready to hang me [by the chain around his neck].”

Bryant eventually appeared at the Northlands Coliseum under heavy police escort. windi screamed: “You have me in shackles, Anita!” She replied, “I love you and I know enough to tell you the truth so you will not go to eternal damnation.” windi called back, “You love me so much you want me in prison.”  The heckling continued intermittently throughout the event, and windi and My were detained briefly afterward for questioning by police.

Meanwhile, the Coalition to Answer Anita Bryant (CAAB), which included feminist and labour groups, fired up the 300 protesters who marched to the Legislature: the most substantial pro-gay demonstration that Alberta had ever seen to that point. The Body Politic reported, “Bryant hits Canada; Canada hits back.”

Bryant’s crusade cost her dearly. By 1980, she was divorced, the Florida Citrus Commission had let her contract lapse, and her career as an entertainer tanked. Ironically, many gay activists noted that Anita did more for their cause than anyone who had come before her. The Globe and Mail cheekily concluded: “Closet doors open on Anita.”

{KA}