An Arizona mother alleged that a transgender school board member stared at her bare chest in her gym’s locker room last week.
Paul Bixler, a man who professes to be a woman, has sat on the Liberty Elementary School District (LESD) Governing Board since 2021. The mother, Lindsey Graham, who goes by the persona “Patriot Barbie” online and is affiliated with conservative activist group Turning Point USA, claimed in a viral video that Bixler looked at her bare chest as she was undressing in the women’s locker room. Graham called police for help. However, law enforcement reportedly informed Graham that the incident wasn’t grounds for arrest.
“He is a man in the women’s locker room, and the response was that this is a ‘touchy, sensitive issue in society,’” said Graham. “Women’s rights are being violated and I’m not going to put up with it.”
Bixler reportedly told police that he had his genitals removed surgically and the gender on his driver’s license changed from male to female. Arizona law requires individuals to receive a doctor’s letter testifying that they’re “irrevocably committed” to changing their gender and that they have received “appropriate clinical treatment.”
“He cut off his weiner, so now he’s a woman?” asked Graham.
Graham said the experience caused her to question what facilities Bixler uses on school property.
Libs of TikTok, a popular conservative account that reposts and reports on left-wing content, picked up the already-viral video, resulting in the encounter to receive millions of views.
Paul Bixler, a transgender board member of Liberty Elementary School District in AZ, was seen going inside a women’s locker room in a gym.
This woman alleges that Paul, a biological male, came into the locker room while she was undressed and stared at her bare chest. pic.twitter.com/nCFhFtIb2l
Some online users accused Bixler of voyeurism in their comments.
Others insinuated Graham orchestrated the encounter, pointing to her viral public commentary at an LESD board meeting last year. In a response video posted to Instagram, Graham denied accusations against her, including that she was waiting for Bixler to come to the gym, that she signed up for the gym knowing he worked out there, and that she’d been harassing and stalking him.
“I don’t care what the narrative is,” said Graham. “I care about this: did he violate women’s rights? Yes. Will he violate other girls and women? Yes. Is it my duty to fight against his delusions to protect other little girls? Yes.”
Days before the incident went viral, Bixler was featured in an article claiming that he’s been targeted by community members over his transgenderism. Bixler also insisted that transgenderism isn’t a choice, in response to critics’ claims to the contrary.
Bixler began dressing as a woman after his wife died in 2017. On his Facebook profile, last active in 2020, he listed his gender as “male.”
Bixler made headlines last January after he testified against parental rights before the Arizona legislature. Bixler argued that educators shouldn’t have to disclose a child’s sexuality and gender identity to their parents.
“When you threaten a child’s disclosure with exposure, those children will continue to question but will not seek the highly qualified individuals that could assist them. Threatening dedicated, trained caregivers with litigation also threatens the welfare of the children within that same population,” stated Bixler. “When you marginalize this student population and force them to go into hiding, they won’t stop questioning. They simply will not receive the help that they need.”
Prior to sitting on a school board, Bixler worked in Arizona public schools for over 30 years as a teacher, principal, administrator, and even coach. Bixler ran uncontested in his school board race.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
A transgender woman testifed to the Arizona House Education Committee that he opposed a bill to expand parental rights, HB2161. The Arizona Daily Independent identified the individual as Liberty Elementary School District Governing Board Member Paul Bixler. The bill that Bixler opposed would prohibit government employees from withholding information from parents concerning their children, or interfering in any capacity unless there’s a compelling interest. The bill also included provisions specific to schools, such as prohibiting school districts or their employees from withholding information from parents related to purported gender identity or requested gender transitions. It also required schools to obtain written informed consent from parents prior to administering any survey soliciting personal information, as well as share a copy of the survey in question seven days prior to administering it. Violations of the bill could result in disciplinary action to the offending employee, a $500 fine for school districts, and lawsuits against the governmental entity or official from the parents.
During Monday’s House Education Committee hearing, Bixler asserted that the legislation would cause harm to befall teens: drug use, depression, dropping out of school, homelessness, depression, and even suicide. Bixler contended that the protections for parents already exist in legislation and no additional ones are necessary.
Bixler also recalled his personal experience with attempting to transition his gender, referencing the difficulty of it. He insinuated that the legislators were handling the topic of transgenderism lightly by approving the bill. Bixler asserted that the bill would put health care practitioners at “personal physical risk” while eliminating much-needed help for children.
“When you threaten a child’s disclosure with exposure, those children will continue to question but will not seek the highly qualified individuals that could assist them. Threatening dedicated, trained caregivers with litigation also threatens the welfare of the children within that same population,” stated Bixler. “By pursuing this legislation, you risk the life that already is fragile of these children. If you pursue this, expect a rise of teen and pretend drug use, drop-out[s], depression, homelessness, and suicide. How do we know this? We know this because we see it over and over and over again. When you marginalize this student population and force them to go into hiding, they won’t stop questioning. They simply will not receive the help that they need. But I believe there’s a bigger question here. This is not only personal proposed legislation targeted on a specific membership within Arizona’s community. It does not appear coincidental that so much proposed legislation is focused on transgender members of Arizona. I have one question for you: what are you afraid of?”
Bixler was elected to his school district in 2020, and will serve until 2024. According to his governing board member profile, Bixler would describe his educational philosophy as “free appropriate education.”
“Sound familiar? I hope so. The words free and appropriate are a promise. A promise rooted in the Fourteenth Amendment and guaranteed in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All this promise asks is to attend. I believe that this is every child’s constitutional, more importantly, human right. I believe in public education,” stated Bixler. “I am a fiscal realist. This belief is honed from more than 30 years of public school experience. As a 20-year public school administrator, I have served as both member and leader of teams that made tough implementation decisions. I would now like to work cooperatively to make tough policy decisions.”
On another profile, this time with Arizona List, a pro-choice Democratic women’s commitee, Bixler revealed that he spent four years in the Navy and Marine Corps after two years at Northern Arizona University (NAU) in the late 1960s. After that, Bixler received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Arizona State University (ASU), then spent over 30 years in public schools as a teacher, guidance counselor, coach, and administrator. Bixler revealed that he’s married to a woman.
According to Arizona List, Bixler qualified as the first transgender woman to be elected in Arizona. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona (PPAA) endorsed Bixler in his campaign.
Happy Friday everyone!! We would like to recognize Liberty Elementary School Board Member Paul Bixler in honor of Transgender Awareness Week!!?️⚧️ Have an amazing weekend!? pic.twitter.com/0bNXoho6gH
