School board candidate focuses solely on denying rights to transgender students
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| Tom Pafford |
Tom Pafford, a candidate to represent Mason District on the Fairfax County School Board, is laser-focused on one issue: He wants the school board to back away from promoting pro-transgender policies, such as allowing students to use the bathroom according to their gender identity.
At a recent meeting with the Annandale blogger, Pafford insisted he is a serious candidate, although he doesn’t have a campaign organization. He says he doesn’t have any volunteers or endorsements, because he didn’t ask for any.
Pafford, a technical writer, will face Ricardy Anderson in the general election on Nov. 5. Anderson, a former principal and teacher, has been endorsed by the Fairfax County Democratic Committee.
Pafford received the endorsement of the Mason District Republican Committee, but the Fairfax County Republican Committee refused to endorse him, he says, because, “I am running on a single bullet point and they want candidates to address other issues.”
He has not yet decided whether to participate in a Mason District candidate forum Oct. 17 organized by the League of Women Voters, but does plan to appear at a Meet the Candidates event hosted by the Camelot Civic Association, Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m., at Camelot Elementary School.
He is also reaching out to voters via email and says, “I think the message I have is a pretty powerful message.”
That message is that schools should require students with gender dysphoria to use bathrooms according to their biological sex, regardless of how they identify themselves.
Pafford warns the Fairfax County School Board is heading toward a pro-transgender agenda in line with other school systems across the county. He cites actions taken by schools in California and Colorado allowing transgender boys in girls’ bathrooms, transgender girls in boys’ locker rooms (and vice versa). He also notes instances where schools invited drag queens to career days and encourage children to read books normalizing the trans lifestyle, such My Princess Boy. There’s much more along this line on his website.
He claims, falsely, that schools identify children as young as age 5 as transgender, if they see a boy playing with dolls, for example, and have the child taken away from parents who disagree.
“No one has proved that gender and sex are separate,” Pafford claims, and says people who believe they have been assigned the wrong gender are suffering from a mental condition. “The science is sketchy on this issue,” he says.
Pafford says he has a plan to resolve this issue but won’t reveal it until after he is elected.
Although he claims otherwise, the scientific establishment no longer agrees with Pafford’s contention that being transgender is purely a mental illness.
“Gender dysphoria,” according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, occurs when people are emotionally distressed because they feel their biological sex assigned at birth and gender identity are mismatched.
That definition, adopted in 2013, replaced the term “gender identity disorder” and shifted the emphasis in treatment from fixing a disorder to resolving the mismatch.
The World Health Organization made a similar change in 2018, removing the term “transsexualism” from the International Classification of Diseases and replaced it with “gender incongruence,” meaning transgender people are no longer classified as having a mental illness.
A resource guide endorsed by the national associations representing school counselors, school psychologists, elementary school principals, and secondary school principals urges schools to acknowledge a student’s right to use the bathroom consistent with their gender identity and says doing so is critical to their long-term health and well-being.
Fairfax County hasn’t adopted a policy on bathroom use by transgender students, but filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of Gavin Grimm, a transgender teen who sued the Gloucester County School Board after he was barred from the boys’ bathroom.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled in favor of Grimm Aug. 9, stating that the school violated his rights under Title IX and the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Pafford acknowledged that he doesn’t have a lot of interest in or knowledge about other issues, although he did say he supports more transparency and opposes raising taxes for schools, because “they always say they never have enough money to do what they need to do.”
But, he says, “all other issues before the school board are tiddly” compared with the transgender issue.
19 responses to “School board candidate focuses solely on denying rights to transgender students”
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He has no interest in or knowledge about other issues. And he was endorsed by the Mason Republicans? So is it safe to say that the Republicans support candidates who are uninterested and uninformed about local issues?
This is too funny. Pafford says "all other issues before the school board are tiddly." Meanwhile, all of our foreign adversaries are like, "Yes, DEFINITELY make that the exclusive focus of your school planning."
I'm of two minds about even having an article about him at this point. Part of me is frustrated that these kind of views are even being given a platform to be voiced. He may have a 1st amendment right to his views, but that doesn't mean a self-styled progressive blog needs to air them.
On the other hand, exposing him for who he is may not necessarily be a bad thing. Make sure voters know that he is so radical that not even the republican committee was willing to endorse him (makes you wonder why the mason district committee endorsed him though?)
I have less a problem with him having these views than I do with this being his sole focus. If this was just one part of his campaign, that's fine, let him debate it all he wants. I don't see him changing anyone's mind. The fact that it's the only thing he's focused on just comes across as hateful. And, in the event that he gets what he wants then what happens?
"Alright, I got those transgender rights taken away, my job is done here."
"Um… sir we have plenty of issues that need to be addressed."
"I said my job is done here!"
LOL. A quick glance at his "website" reveals that "other issues" like writing, communication, and clear thinking certainly aren't high on his list. If the poor guy has any family or friends they should be encouraging him to get some help (and I don't just mean help with language skills).
Pafford and Gary Aiken are the best the Mason District Republicans can come up with? That IS a powerful measage.
Don't compare Pafford with Aiken. Apples and Oranges.
More alike than dissimilar. Aiken runs hard from social issues but someone needs to push him. What's his stance on LGBTQ? Immigrants' rights? Etc. (And if he claims progressive stances on those issues… they can't be deeply-held, or else he wouldn't be a Republican in this day and age.)
How will a Mason District Supervisor (or any Fairfax supervisor) vote for or against LBGTQ Immigration rights?
There are a TON of local issues that affect LGBTQ rights, and immigrants' rights. Especially given that Richmond and Washington aren't doing anything to protect us right now. If you think that local races are just about zoning and trash collection, you couldn't be farther from correct.
He's a crackpot and he won't be getting my vote, that's for sure.
What a Loser!
Aiken is a highly qualified challenger for the Mason District Superintendent position. This is a LOCAL election, not national. People have turned this district into a dump by always voting the Democrat ticket and re-electing Penny Gross.
Shun your political bias and read what Aiken's plans for Mason District are. He has hands on experience in revitalization including The Wharf in SE DC. What has Superintendent Gross got to show for her 24 years? A 50% office vacancy in Skyline and trash and litter in our Bailey's Crossroads Columbia Pike business district, etc., etc., etc.
The debate on national issues has no place in this local election. Attend to concerns about Mason District's problems and blight. Aiken is the best candidate to raise up Mason District instead of allowing this continual decline we've experience during the past 24 years.
Sorry, but you don't get to tell other people what to base their vote on. The questions asked earlier were valid questions for someone to ask a candidate if those issues are important to the voter. If a candidate refuses to answer those questions, then that is a statement in and of itself.
Immigration issues are highly relevant to the Fairfax Board of Supervisors. I don't see a lot of specifics from Aiken as to how he's going to protect our immigrant families from Trump's onslaught. Of course — they're both from the same party.
Pafford sounds like the type of guy who often succumbs to his toxic shame and tearfully purges his cross-dressing wardrobe. Someone-check his browser history
It is very sad that this article is so one-sided biased.
Could the title be "focuses on protecting normal student's rights"?
This person has an aim – to make sure school age kids knows what's right and wrong and dont get confused by gender-studies BS.
there is nothing wrong with that.
Okay – I'll bite…
If there is nothing wrong with it, then why post anonymously?
I'm posting as my name, and I'm 100% willing to say that this argument is 100% BULLSHIT. What the hell do you mean by "normal student's rights?" What is your definition of normal? Blond hair blue eyes?
Wanting to make sure school age kids know between right and wrong – I think most school age kids already know that discriminating against their LGBTQ+ peers is WRONG.
If by some off chance some transgender kid does endanger another kid in a bathroom, like the opponents of these bathroom policies keep drumming up, then guess what – it would be treated no differently than had a straight child done it, and discipline will be applied. But statistics clearly show that these kids are far more likely to be the recipient of violence and bullying than the other way around.
I look forward to seeing the results of the vote in November showing Pafford how out of touch his views are with voters, and how little taste anyone has for such extreme politics in Fairfax County and Mason District.
Thank you, Jeff. Well said.
Anon 12:47, Pafford is willfully ignorant, a negligent "candidate", and obviously unqualified. This article treats him very courteously; he should consider himself lucky to get such positive press.
–kda