lang: en
Summary
In 1977, gay rights activists in Dade County, Florida, launched a nationwide boycott of Florida orange juice after Anita Bryant and the Florida Citrus Commission campaigned to repeal a local anti-discrimination ordinance protecting gays and lesbians. Despite the boycott, the ordinance was repealed in June 1977 by a large margin. However, the campaign succeeded in damaging Bryant’s career, leading to her firing from the Florida Citrus Commission in 1980.
Background
On January 18, 1977, the Dade County Commission passed a law prohibiting discrimination against gays and lesbians in employment and housing. Former pop star Anita Bryant, who had been a spokesperson for the Florida Citrus Commission since 1969, formed Save Our Children to repeal the ordinance, claiming that homosexuals were converting children to homosexuality. The Florida Citrus Commission publicly supported Bryant’s campaign, prompting gay rights activists to organize a nationwide boycott of Florida orange juice.
What happened
The boycott was organized by the Dade County Coalition for the Humanistic Rights of Gays in partnership with the national LGBTQ movement, and gained support from Harvey Milk, the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee, and the San Francisco Tavern Guild [source: nv-database]. Gay bars across the country stopped serving Florida orange juice, and some served modified screwdrivers with apple juice instead, called the ‘Anita Bryant’ [source: nv-database]. The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists voted to deny their services to Bryant [source: nv-database]. Activists wore flags and pins mocking Bryant and the Florida Citrus Commission, and at one event in Iowa, a pie was thrown in Bryant’s face [source: nv-database]. Despite these efforts, in June 1977 Dade County residents repealed the ordinance by a vote of 69 to 31 [source: nv-database]. The boycott continued, and in 1980, Bryant was fired from the Florida Citrus Commission as her career declined [source: nv-database]. In 1998, Dade County passed a new gay and lesbian rights ordinance that remains in effect, and a 2002 attempt to repeal it failed [source: nv-database].
Key people & organizations
- Jack Campbell
- Bob Basker
- Bob Kunst
- Ethan Geto
- Jim Foster
- Ruth Shack
- Harvey Milk
- David Goodstein
- Anita Bryant
- Save Our Children
- Jesse Helms
- Jerry Falwell
- Bob Green
- Dade County Coalition for the Humanistic Rights of Gays
- Florida Citrus Commission
- Alameda County Democratic Central Committee
- San Francisco Tavern Guild
- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
Tactics used
The boycott leveraged economic pressure by targeting a specific consumer product, while coalition-building with national gay rights groups and sympathetic organizations amplified the campaign’s reach and legitimacy. [source: nv-database]
Outcome
Verdict: lost.
The primary goal of upholding the 1977 ordinance was lost, but the campaign succeeded in getting Anita Bryant fired from the Florida Citrus Commission and permanently damaged her national fame. The long-term success came in 1998 when Dade County passed a new gay rights ordinance that could not be overturned. [source: nv-database]
Lessons
- Economic boycotts can damage the careers of prominent opponents even if the immediate legislative goal fails.
- Building coalitions with national organizations and sympathetic elites can amplify a local campaign’s reach.
- Sustained nonviolent action over years can create conditions for future policy victories.
Sources
- Global Nonviolent Action Database —
[[nv-database]]
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
nv-database— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via
worker_casestudies_v2.py