Joe Cardona

The Day it Snowed in Miami

In January 1977, as snowflakes fell in Miami, Florida, lawmakers passed legislation to prohibit discrimination in housing, public accommodations or employment on the basis of "sexual preference." The issue ignited a political maelstrom, and Anita Bryant led a successful effort to repeal the ordinance. A divisive and galvanizing event, it set back the gay-rights movement for decades.