Study finds 40% of parents want to move out of Florida, oversamples Democrats by nearly 20%
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – A new study conducted by a Clark University professor on the impacts of the state’s Parental Rights in Education Act reported that a sizeable 40% of Florida parents want to flee the state.
The research, making the rounds in news reports, oversamples Democrats in comparison to Republicans by nearly 20%, overwhelmingly different than the true composition of Floridians by party affiliation.
The sample of 106 parents involved 42.2% identifying as Democrats, 28.3% as Independents, and only 24.5% as Republicans.
They also included two who identified as Green Party members, and three more as something else, involving Democratic Socialist, Neutral and “Registered Democrat but I vote both sides.”
For comparison, data from the Florida Department of State shows Florida being composed of 37.1% Republicans, 33.3% Democrats and 27.6% Independents.
Per their report, the study was primely composed of parents from Democratic counties like Broward and Orange.
The release of the report also falsely describes Florida’s parental rights law as the “Don’t Say Gay law.”
The bill was introduced in 2022 to apply to grades K-3, limiting classroom discussion on gender identity and sexual orientation.
It was expanded in 2023 by Florida lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis to cover PreK-8th grade, but Florida Board of Education rules expand those restrictions through grade 12, with exceptions.
Of the sample, 20% “very much so” wanted to flee Florida, and 19% “somewhat.” 15% reportedly felt “mixed” about moving, and 45% did not want to move.
Additionally, 11% were “very likely to move in the next two years.”
The survey found that a third of participants disagreed with the original K-3 application of the law, while 46% disagree with applying it through 12th grade.
“They also voiced concern about a push towards fascism within their state and government overreach,” the report’s summary stated. “Participants who were against the Act largely agreed with the statement that it provoked hostility against the LGBTQ community.”
Christian Ziegler, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, recently responded to opposers of the restrictions on sexual orientation and gender identity teachings for children potentially wanting to flee Florida.
“Over 60% of voters support the actual language in the law, including 55% of Democrats,” Ziegler said to the Washington Examiner. “With that said, if a Democrat Voter is passionate and perverted enough to support the sexualization of kids during school in grades as early as Kindergarten, then I would agree that Florida is probably not the best fit for them.”
A poll released in 2022 by the New York Times found the provisions of the law have strong support among the public.
The author of the study, Abbie E. Goldberg, Ph.D., is the director of Women’s & Gender Studies at her university. It was conducted March 22-24 and was published this month.
