Rush Limbaugh's death and the uncovering of his vile homophobia got me digging through the lives of other anti-LGBTQ personalities and led me to the above video. LGBTQ Americans of my generation the one before us remember Anita Bryant with nausea in the pit of our stomachs.
She was already a national celebrity, being a former beauty queen and recording artist, when in 1977 she led a fight against a FL anti-discrimination ordinance. Her efforts garnered a win by a wide majority and technically began the fusion of anti-gay religious beliefs and homophobic propaganda for political purposes. You can see how she masterfully combines the two while oozing ignorant sincerity during the above short clip
While Bryant won that battle, she eventually "lost the war." Boycotts and bankruptcies destroyed her career while we have won battle after battle securing our rights. However on the other hand, LGBTQ Americans have had to deal with laws and bills created by the combined weaponization of religious beliefs and anti-gay propaganda for decades even as Bryant moved away from the public eye.
And yes, girlfriend is still alive (video from 2005):
