Good As You

Anita Bryant was the best thing that happened to the gay rights movement... it gave us movement! I outed myself nationally in May of 1977 via United Press International wire service story, when I created the "ANITA BRYANT'S HUSBAND IS A HOMO-SAPIEN!" T-shirt. The same month, at fund raiser at S.F.'s Oil Can Harry's Disco, I was able to get Jane Fonda to wear one, and it was featured in a Associated Press wire story. But it was the defeat of a gay rights ordinance in Dade County, Florida that she spearheadded, that caused ripples all the way into the Castro. It became known as "Orange Tuesday" When on 6/7/77 an impromptu march led by Harvey Milk, 5 months before he was elected as the country's first openly gay male politician. My photo of Harvey, holding a bullhorn in one hand and a candle in the other... with a "SAVE OUR RIGHTS" sign in the background that Associated Press ran... that introduced Harvey, as "the" gay spokesperson against her, and helped to unite gays in S.F. and elsewhere. She brought gays out of the closet, and made sure that we would never return to our closets! Harvey's leadership over Bryant, helped him get elected, and Prop 6 was defeated mainly through his efforts via the mainstream media.THANK YOU ANITA...WHERE EVER YOU ARE...