Florida LGBT+ parents consider moving out of state

More than forty percent of Florida parents who responded to a survey about the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law want to move out of the state because of the restrictions it imposes.

That’s according to a report released this week by the Williams Institute at the University of Southern California, and Clark University. The report is based on an online survey conducted between March 22 and March 24, 2023, of more than 100 parents with diverse backgrounds and political affiliations.

The original law banned instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation for K-3 students, and required that instruction on those topics be age appropriate for older students. The state expanded the law to ban sexual and gender identity instruction for all K-12 students in May 2023. The new version, which went into effect in July, also prohibits teachers from using students’ affirming pronouns.

Almost 11 percent of parents said they were very likely to move out of Florida in the next two years, and nine percent said they had actively taken steps to move, such as looking for jobs or homes in other states.