Bridget Ziegler

This content was last updated Dec. 8, 2023, 10:21 p.m. UTC

Bridget Ziegler is an anti-trans activist, business woman, and school board member in Sarasota County, Florida. She is one of the co-founders of Moms for Liberty. In 2023 her husband, Christian Ziegler, was accused of raping a woman with whom he and Bridget Ziegler had previously had a threesome. In the wake of the scandal, the other co-founders of Mom’s for Liberty have formally distanced themselves from her.

The arrogance of [Disney] continues… from ignoring parents and allowing radicals to sexualize our children, to now ignoring Florida taxpayers by sneaking in a last minute sweetheart development agreement, Disney has once again overplayed their hand in Florida.

Ziegler on Twitter/X, 29 March 2023

Education and Career

Ziegler attended Florida International University School of Business (2006-2008). According to her linkedIn she was a Sales Dept. Manager for Gucci (2004-2010), District Sales Manager for ADP (2010-2011), Leadership Council Youth Leadership Chair for the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce (2012-2016), a Commercial Risk Advisor for Al Purmort Insurance (2011-2016), Assistant Vice President for Insurance Broker Marsh (2016-2018), Consultant for USI Insurance Services (2019-2022).

She is currently the National Director of School Board Leaders Programs for the Leadership Institute as well as a Board Member for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (2023). Ziegler is Chairman of the Board, according to her linkedIn, and a Board Member for Sarasota County schools, District 1 (2014-current). 

Moms for Liberty and Anti-Trans Activism

Moms for Liberty is a Southern Poverty Law Center designated hate group that seeks to abolish the Department of Education and perform sweeping bans on books and learning materials that educate on matters of inequality and LGBTQ+ topics. To achieve these goals, they back local candidates for school board elections via donations from various conservative organizations and individuals.

Ziegler was brought on as the third co-founder for Moms for Liberty, alongside Tina Descovich and Tiffany Justice. Her husband, Christian Ziegler, is the chairman for Florida’s Republican party, a crucial first step in giving the organization ties to a larger political body.

Ziegler’s tenure with the group only lasted until late 2021, less than a year after the founding of the organization. In 2023 her co-founders formally distanced themselves from her because of a scandal involving accusations of rape against her husband by a woman with whom the couple had previously had a threesome. She later went on to work as a director for the Leadership Institute, a conservative non-profit organization that trains activists and politicians alike, including new chapter leaders of Moms for Liberty. She left the Leadership Institute in the wake of the sexual assault scandal in 2023.
In 2022, Moms for Liberty paid $21,000 to Microtargeting Media, a business owned by Ziegler’s husband, for “digital media services.” Microtargeting Media specializes in digital advertising and text message campaigns, and has been hired by several Florida-based conservative politicians and organizations.

Ziegler continues to further anti-trans and homophobic rhetoric as a member of the Sarasota County School Board. She has both worn and defended transphobic slogans, and defended a speaker who lobbed homophobic accusations of grooming at a fellow member of the school board.

When a flier for an LGBTQ+ organization’s event was posted in her school district, Ziegler stated “a public school setting, which serves a diverse community with a wide range of cultural, religious and political views, is not the appropriate place for this event promotion.” ALSOYouth was founded in response to “statistics documenting high rates of suicide among gay and lesbian teens.” 

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