Isla Bennett
In 1978, Anita Bryant, an anti-homosexual campaigner, said: If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nail biters. It is thought that Bryant was using the term 'nail biters' as a hyperbolic extension of the idea of providing federal protection to people with weird mental disorders, which is how she viewed homosexuality.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Anita Bryant's comment | "If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nail biters" |
| Context | Anita Bryant was an anti-homosexual campaigner |
| Year | 1978 |
| Interpretation | Nail-biters were a "potentially-identifiable minority group" |
Other Interpretations
- Bryant meant onycophages, as a hyperbolic extension of the idea of providing federal protection to people with "weird mental disorders" (which is how she viewed homosexuality)
- Bryant was joking
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What You'll Learn
Anita Bryant's views on homosexuality
In 1978, Anita Bryant, an anti-homosexual campaigner, said: "If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nail biters".
Bryant's views on homosexuality were negative. She compared homosexuality to a "weird mental disorder". She also believed that granting rights to gay people would lead to rights being granted to other "potentially-identifiable minority groups", such as nail biters, people who sleep with St. Bernards, and prostitutes.
Bryant's comments were part of her "Save Our Children" campaign in Dade County, Florida, in 1977. During this campaign, she was pied in the face by a gay protester.
Bryant's views on homosexuality were not unique at the time. Other anti-LGBT campaigners, such as Phyllis Schlafly, also expressed crude and absurd hatred towards LGBT people.
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The context of mid-1970s America
In 1978, Anita Bryant, an anti-homosexual campaigner, said: "If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nail biters".
It is thought that Bryant was using the term 'nail-biter' as a hyperbolic extension of the idea of providing federal protection to people with "weird mental disorders" (which is how she, and much of the country, viewed homosexuality at the time). It is unlikely that Bryant had any particular animosity towards nail-biters, but rather that she was using them as an example of a "potentially-identifiable minority group".
In the mid-1970s, Bryant and her ilk were known for the crudeness and absurdity of their hatred of LGBT+ people. Their comments were often bizarre and stupid, and they were quite proud to say them on national TV.
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Bryant's 'Save Our Children' campaign
In 1978, Anita Bryant was an anti-homosexual campaigner. She is known for her Save Our Children campaign, which was launched in 1977 in Dade County, Florida. During a press conference for the campaign, Bryant was pied in the face by a gay protester.
Bryant's Save Our Children campaign was a reactionary movement against the growing acceptance of homosexuality in the 1970s. She believed that homosexuality was a "weird mental disorder" and that granting rights to homosexuals would lead to absurd outcomes, such as granting rights to prostitutes, people who sleep with St. Bernards, and nail-biters.
The term "nail-biter" has been interpreted in different ways. Some believe that Bryant was using the term as a joke or a hyperbolic extension of her belief that homosexuality was a mental disorder. Others suggest that she was using "nail-biters" as a stand-in for any potentially-identifiable minority group, similar to how she may have said "brunettes" or "people who like Marmite".
Bryant's comments and her Save Our Children campaign were part of a broader movement of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in the 1970s. She and others like her, such as Phyllis Schlafly, used crude and absurd arguments to express their hatred of LGBTQ+ people. These comments were often made on national television, and some argue that similar arguments have resurfaced in recent years in relation to gay marriage.
Anita Bryant's Save Our Children campaign and her comments about "nail-biters" reflect a historical perspective on homosexuality that is now widely considered unacceptable. Her views were a product of their time, and they serve as a reminder of the progress that has been made in LGBTQ+ rights since the 1970s.
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Bryant's views on nail-biting as a mental disorder
In 1978, Anita Bryant, an anti-homosexual campaigner, said: "If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St Bernards and to nail biters".
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Bryant's views on legislating for minority groups
In 1978, Anita Bryant, an anti-homosexual campaigner, said: "If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nail biters".
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Frequently asked questions
Anita Bryant was an anti-homosexual campaigner who, in 1978, said: "If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nail biters". It is thought that she was using the term "nail biters" as a joke to refer to people with "weird mental disorders", which is how she viewed homosexuality.
Yes, she did.
Anita Bryant was known for her crude and absurd hatred of LGBT+ people. She used the term "nail biters" as a hyperbolic extension of the idea of providing federal protection to people with "weird mental disorders", which is how she viewed homosexuality.
No, she was not. Phyllis Schlafly was another campaigner who made bizarre anti-LGBT+ comments.
It is not known how her comments were received at the time. However, in 1977, a gay protester pied her in the face during a press conference for her "Save Our Children" campaign in Dade County, Florida.
