More than half of voters likely to participate in Florida’s Democratic primary this summer support the state’s so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, a new poll has found.
Commissioned by local political action committee Floridians for Economic Advancement, 701 likely voters were asked about the legislation – officially named the ‘Parental Rights in Education Bill’ – which limits LGBTQ discussion in schools.
The bill would ban teachers for speaking about sexual orientation and gender identity with students in kindergarten to third grade, while also limiting discussions about those topics in other grades.
It also allows parents to sue districts over alleged violations of the ban, and requires teachers to notify a student’s parent if there is a change in the student’s mental, emotional or physical health – something LGBTQ advocates argue could lead to students being outed to their parents.
The poll found that 52 percent of Democratic voters surveyed, roughly 365 people, support the Governor Ron DeSantis-championed policy, saying students in the specified age group should not be taught about sexual orientation or gender identity in class.
A further 12 percent remarked that they were unsure of their stance on the bill. Just 36 percent of those polled opposed the legislation.
The poll found that 52 percent of Democratic voters surveyed, roughly 365 people, oppose the Governor Ron DeSantis-championed policy, saying students in that age group should not be taught about sexual orientation or gender identity in class
The bill was championed by Gov Ron DeSantis (pictured last week) is expected to sign the bill, passed by the state senate Tuesday
The results come just days after a POLITICO/Morning Consult poll revealed that a majority of Americans support the guidance, with 51 percent of 2,005 respondents revealing that they back the bill. Only 34 percent in that poll said they are against the bill.
The findings show that despite protests seen across the country – including walkouts and protests by Disney and Disney World employees maddened by CEO Bob Chapek’s tepid response to the bill – not only do the majority of American voters back the bill, but a majority of Democrats in Florida support it.
The results also suggest that activist opposition to the bill, passed last week, is likely backfiring.
Set to be signed into law July 1, the bill has been widely condemned by Democrats and the media since it was passed by the state Senate on March 14.
Marchers make their way toward the St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Saturday, March 12, 2022 during a march to protest the controversial ‘Don’t say gay’ bill
The White House labeled the bill a ‘form of bullying’ hours after it was passed, with Press Secretary Jen Psaki, 43, saying it ‘would discriminate against families, against kids, put these kids in a position of not getting the support they need at a time where that’s exactly what they need.’
President Biden branded the bill as ‘hateful’ last month, in a tweet that similarly assured members of the LGBT community that his administration would ‘fight’ to ensure that their rights are protected, especially gay or transgender children that would be affected by the bill.
‘I want every member of the LGBTQI+ community – especially the kids who will be impacted by this hateful bill – to know that you are loved and accepted just as you are.
The president, who previously supported a ban on federal funding for schools that were ‘encouraging or supporting homosexuality as a positive lifestyle alternative’ as a senator in 1994, added: ‘I have your back, and my Administration will continue to fight for the protections and safety you deserve.’
Some celebrities have also spoken out against it, including actors Mark Ruffalo and Mark Hamill, and singer Shawn Mendes.
This week, Disney staffers at multiple Disney locations across the country – along with employees at subsidiaries including Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm – staged walkouts to protest CEO Chapek’s ‘slow response’ in publicly criticizing the law.
On Tuesday, more than 100 staffers gathered outside the Disney headquarters in Burbank, California. Footage posted to social media showed dozens of employees marching outside the office chanting, ‘Say gay! Say gay!’
Meanwhile, about 60 employees gathered at Griffith Park in Glendale with signs reading, ‘#DisneySayTrans’ and ‘Disney oppose Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.’
Outside Walt Disney World’s property near Orlando, Disney employee Nicholas Maldonado was a lone protester Tuesday, wearing a rainbow flag and holding a sign reading, ‘Trans rights are human rights’ and ‘#DisneyDoBetter.’
Some Disney workers say the company has ‘fostered an environment of fear that any employee who does not toe the line will be exposed and dismissed.’ Above, Disney workers protest in Burbank on Tuesday
Disney employee Nicholas Maldonado holds a sign while protesting outside of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida on Tuesday
Amid the walkouts Tuesday, the company expressed support for the protesters in a Facebook post Tuesday morning – a day after Chapek, 61, said he regretted not taking a stance against the bill earlier.
In a memo to staff, Chapek reiterated the park’s policies: ‘I want to be crystal clear: I and the entire leadership team unequivocally stand in support of our LGBTQ+ employees, their families, and their communities.’
Chapek replaced longtime head exec Bob Iger – who has spoken out forcefully against the bill – and angered many of Disney’s thousands of Orlando-based staffers by not taking a firm stance against the bill, despite polls showing that the bill itself is supported by a majority of Americans.
The results come just days after a POLITICO/Morning Consult poll revealed that a majority of Americans support the guidance, with 51 percent of 2,005 respondents revealing that they back the bill
Chapek had since been condemned by staff for refusing to take his own vehement stance against the guidance immediately after it was passed.
‘We are committed to creating a more inclusive company – and world,’ wrote Chapek, who has emphasized ‘inclusion’ as one of his focuses as CEO, in an attempt to quell the backlash – seemingly bowing to left-wing pressure.
Employees who are currently protesting the company’s response to the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill have a long list of demands that includes halting all ‘construction and investment in the state of Florida’ until the bill is repealed.
The protests by Disney staffers followed a week of smaller-scale walkouts during employees’ 15-minute afternoon breaks.
But a group of anonymous Disney employees with conservative beliefs are slamming coworkers for creating an ‘environment of fear’ and calling on the company to remain ‘politically neutral’.
‘The Walt Disney Company has come to be an increasingly uncomfortable place to work for those of us whose political and religious views are not explicitly progressive,’ workers said in an unsigned letter published Monday.
‘We watch quietly as our beliefs come under attack from our own employer, and we frequently see those who share our opinions condemned as villains by our own leadership.’
The anonymous group also accused liberal colleagues of calling them ‘bigots’ and said Chapek walking back comments does nothing but divide a company and its customers.
Disney has also halted its political donations in Florida in response to the legislation.
As the state’s largest private-sector employer – Walt Disney World outside Orlando had more than 75,000 workers before the coronavirus pandemic – Disney has contributed huge amounts of money to Florida´s political parties and politicians and has wielded incredible influence on the state´s government.
Backlash over the bill also has seen Florida citizens take to the streets to protest the measure.
Dozens of employees marched outside of Disney’s headquarters in Burbank, California on Tuesday as part of a full day of walkouts across the company’s theme parks and offices
Disney employee Nicholas Maldonado holds a sign while protesting the bill outside of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday
Statewide, the bill has sparked a swell of protests and student walkouts – although it also attracted widespread support as controversies over woke school boards roil much of the United States.
Dozens of students and advocates flooded committee rooms in the proposal´s early stages this month, and then packed the halls of the Legislature as it moved toward final passage, often with chants of, ‘We say gay!’
‘We have failed as a Legislature if hundreds of kids stand outside screaming for their rights and you can’t explain to fifth-graders and sixth-graders and eighth-graders simple definitions of your bill. You’ve failed,’ said Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democrat.
Since its inception, the measure has drawn intense opposition from LGBTQ advocates, students, national Democrats, the White House and the entertainment industry, amid increased attention on Florida as Republicans push culture war legislation
Democrats and LGBTQ youth protested at the state capitol before the bill was passed
The bill states, ‘Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.’
The act also requires parental approval before children in the designated age gap affected by the guidance – commonly between the ages of 5 to 8 – engage in ‘well-being questionnaire or health screening’ that have become prevalent since the start of the pandemic.
The bill gives parents the option to opt their children, no matter their age, out of such activities.
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