Anita Bryant hangs over Gay Pride Day: 1978

Washington Area Spark posted a photo:

Two women hug at 4th annual Gay Pride Day June 11, 1978 held in the Dupont Circle area on 20th Street.

The event took place against the backdrop of singer and orange juice promoter Anita Bryant’s campaign against the burgeoning gay rights movement.

The festival was a noon until dusk block party that featured food, live bands and dancing in the streets.

It kicked off a week-long celebration that culminated with a Fantasy Ball at the old Pier 9 restaurant on the waterfront.

Festival organizer Jeff Carillon was quoted in the Washington Post, “The only political statement we make is by the number of people who show, our solidarity and our numbers. But it is a political event.

The event was partially to show support for a bill that would prevent the District’s Human Relations Act from coming up for referendum for repeal. That was what happened in Dade County, Fl. When Anita Bryant led a campaign to repeal protections for gay people.

Some in the crowd poked fun at Bryant with T-shirts that read, “A day in the closet is like a day without sunshine”—referring to Bryant’s television orange juice commercials.

Carillon opened the event sarcastically thanking Bryant for all the sunshine and poet Chasen Gavin read a poem dedicated to all the people in St. Paul, Mn. and Wichita, Kan. who were engaged in referenda similar to Bryant’s entitled “Straight to Hell.”
Mayoral candidates Marion Barry and Sterling Tucker came by with Barry quoted as saying, “I’m not here solely because I’m running for office. I was here last year and the year before.”

Thousands of people had demonstrated in earlier in the year in January against a Bryant appearance at the Washington Hilton.

For more information and related images, see flic.kr/s/aHskcVHcxD

Photo by Ray Lustig. The image is courtesy of the D.C. Public Library Washington Star Collection © Washington Post.