Tom Brown Candidate Questionnaire
Candidate Name: Tom Brown
Candidate Website: www.whytombrown.com
Candidate Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Candidate Phone: 202540.5567
1. Washington, DC provides no funding for HIV/AIDS prevention that primarily emphasizes sexual abstinence rather than condom use. Recent studies (see http://www.ultrateenchoice.org/Jermott_study.html) show that this type of health education is effective. Would you support funding for abstinence centered programs such as the one described in this study? If so, how much funding would you propose allocating on a yearly basis?
I would definitely advocate for an abstinence based option for health education. The amount would be based on further research. However, as a parent this is a message I promote wholeheartedly.
2. In Wards 7 and 8, 82% of all births are outside of marriage. Out of wedlock birth has been associated with a host of negative economic, social and health issues for children and parents that experience it. What would you do to encourage more youth and adults to wait until marriage to have children?
I think we should look at incentives around post- secondary education and even internships. I believe we have to motivate our youth to see this as an attractive and valuable choice for future stability. I also think we want to remain supportive of the young people who have made different choices.
3. Teens and adults that become pregnant can tap into a number of government resources provided by the District, such as assistance on health care, housing, child care and more. What will you do to make sure that marriage is encouraged by DC laws and is not discouraged by requirements for assistance programs?
Again I would promote the increase in education and awareness around the REAL expenses of starting a family prematurely. Be able to plan for parenthood has tremendous advantages to the parents and the children and I think we have to get more exposure to the positives, in doing so. This will focus on an ability to make independent choices to secure a stable future that may not require as much assistance socially.
4. Do you support defining marriage as one man and one woman only?
Yes.
5. Do you support full voting rights for DC residents, including the right to vote on the definition of marriage?
Yes.
6. Recent news stories have indicated a continuing pattern of abuse of public funds by the District’s HIV/AIDS administration. Reports indicate that millions of dollars were paid to ex convicts who never provided the services paid for, or used the funds to fund procurement of property for a strip club. Yet relatively little is spent on HIV prevention, and absolutely nothing on programs that support youth who want to remain abstinent or return to abstinence.
a. Do you think that the District’s HIV prevention approach is adequate, and if not, how would you change it?
I think that have been some successful steps taken in the past 20years. We are still at an epidemic level in the District of Columbia. We have to look at best practices globally and see what measure can be taken to implement support these initiatives. However, I believe that there is a need to reassess the way funds are allocated and monitored. In my opinion youth abstinence is a great place to look.
b. what would you do to provide adequate and equal funding for prevention programs that promote sexual abstinence?
We would have to do a review of the current health and education expenditures and research the success and cost of abstinence programming and then make the proper recommendations.
7. Do you agree that 6th and 8th grade youth should be taught the following (Current DC public school health standards:
6th grade: (6.1.6) Explain that people, regardless of biological sex, gender, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity and culture, have sexual feeling and the need for love, affection and physical intimacy
8th grade: (8.1.5) Define sexual orientation, using correct terminology, and explain that as people grow and develop, they may begin to feel romantically and or sexually attracted to people of a different gender and/or to people of the same gender
I would request a review of the current curriculum being used in order assess the appropriateness of the messaging. This would be conducted by an Independent committee made up of parents, educators, faith based, and other community based programs. We don’t want any messaging sent through our classrooms that contradict what the families are promoting so we have to a hard look at this.
If not, please explain what you will do to make sure that children are not indoctrinated in school to believe that same sex relationships are normal, which may well be contrary to what their parents are teaching.
8.
a. Do you support abortion for minors without parental consent (the District’s current law)?
No. (However there may be some extreme cases that we have to allow for)
b. Do you support public funding for such abortions (also the District’s current policy)
No. ( However we have to allow for some extreme cases)