Anita Bryant, an entertainer who was commended by the Southern Baptist Convention for standing up to the gay rights movement in the 1970s, died Dec. 16

Anita Bryant, a former Miss Oklahoma, Grammy-nominated singer and prominent booster of orange juice and other products who became known over the second half of her life for her outspoken opposition to gay rights,

Anita Bryant, the Grammy-nominated singer who later became a high-profile and controversial campaigner against gay rights in America, has died aged 84. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

Anita Bryant might have lost a short-term political battle, but she won a much longer war that many people thought had been decided conclusively in her enemy’s favor. | Bill Hudson/AP Dylon Jones is an associate editor for POLITICO Magazine.