A new poll in Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary has found that a majority of Democratic voters agree with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and GOP lawmakers in efforts to prohibit school districts and classroom teachers from providing lessons about sexual orientation and gender identity in school.
According to a new poll by Alvarado Strategies, the data suggests there may be less concern than might be expected about what critics dub the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.
About 52% of respondents say students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade should not be taught about sexual orientation in class by teachers.
That bill, whose proper name is the Parental Rights in Education bill, is the hottest political issue facing Florida at the moment.
Its most controversial provision says: “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through third grade or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
Because its potential to reverberate across the country is so profound for Democrats, the White House, the leading liberal media, and Hollywood elites have all condemned it.
Yet a majority of Democratic voters in Florida agree with DeSantis and GOP lawmakers when asked, as the pollster put it, “Should students in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade be taught about sexual orientation in the classroom by their teachers?”
Among Democratic primary voters, 32 percent said “definitely” no, while another 20 percent said “somewhat” no.
On the other hand, 18 percent said students in those grades should definitely be taught those subjects, while another 18 percent somewhat agreed – total support of 36 percent.
The poll’s results are similar with other surveys on the issue – which indicates the liberal elites’ overheated response to the bill is not shared by rank and file Democrats.
For example, The Free Press recently reported on a poll by the conservative Daily Wire news website that revealed 62 percent of Democrats across the country agreed with the language of the bill.
As for possible opponents for DeSantis, the poll found that U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, a Clearwater Democrat who served as governor when he was still a Republican, is the favorite of Democratic voters, capturing 43 percent support.
That compared to 33 percent for state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only statewide elected Democrat, and 15 percent for state Sen. Annette Taddeo of Miami.
About 8 percent of respondents answered unsure.
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