Anita Bryant, a multiple Grammy-nominated singer and former Miss Oklahoma who later became a prominent activist against gay rights in America, has died at the age of 84.

In an announcement Thursday, Bryant’s family said Bryant died on Dec. 16, 2024, at their home in Edmond, Oklahoma. “May Anita’s memory and her faith in eternal life through Christ comfort all who embraced her,” her family said.

Born on March 25, 1940, in Barnsdall, Oklahoma, Bryant quickly rose to fame through her musical career with hits such as “Till There Was You,” “In My Little Corner of the World” and “Paper Roses.” At the age of 18, Bryant was crowned Miss Oklahoma.

Bryant sang not only at the White House during Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency, but also at national Republican and Democratic conventions. She was also the spokesperson for Florida Citrus and once coined the phrase, “Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine.”

In the 1970s, Bryant became politically active by leading the anti-LGBTQ+ “Save Our Children” campaign, which aimed to repeal an ordinance in Dade County, Florida that banned discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Speaking to Playboy in 1978, Bryant said, “I only got involved because they were demanding special privileges that were against Florida state law, not to mention God’s law.”

In response to Bryant’s anti-LGBTQ sentiments, gay rights activists boycotted Florida orange juice, the Hollywood Reporter reported. It added that Bryant said she lost about half a million dollars on concert bookings.

Bryant is survived by her four children, two stepdaughters, seven grandchildren and their spouses, her family said in a statement.