FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is strongly opposing Republican efforts to portray him as a supporter of gender reassignment surgery for minors. He asserts that his detractors have distorted his stance and cites his Christian faith and belief in parental rights as reasons for vetoing a bill that banned gender-affirming care for children.
Beshear, a Democrat seeking reelection in a race that could test Republican messaging on transgender issues, stated in an interview that he has always been against gender reassignment surgery for children.
“My position on this has always been clear,” Beshear said. “I have never supported gender reassignment surgery for minors, and they don’t happen in Kentucky.”
He is responding directly to what he considers a blatantly false Republican narrative that suggests he supports such surgeries. The Courier Journal has reported that there is no record of such surgeries for minors taking place in Kentucky.
The GOP attacks, originating from groups supporting Republican gubernatorial nominee Daniel Cameron, aim to undermine Beshear’s popularity in the conservative-leaning Bluegrass State.
Kentucky’s highly watched governor’s race could offer insights into voter sentiment leading up to the 2024 elections. In response to the GOP attacks, Beshear’s campaign released an advertisement reaffirming his opposition to surgeries for minors and denouncing the Republican assault. This underscores the governor’s determination not to cede family values issues to Cameron, the state’s attorney general.
In the ad, Beshear appeals directly to the camera, invoking his Christian faith and commitment to parental rights to counter the ongoing GOP criticism since he vetoed a comprehensive transgender bill that included a ban on gender-affirming care for young transgender individuals. The veto was overridden by the Republican-controlled legislature.
“My faith guides me as governor and as a dad,” Beshear says in the ad. “I’m a deacon in my church and I believe that all children are children of God.”
In vetoing the bill, the governor argued that it allowed “excessive government interference in personal healthcare matters and encroached upon parents’ freedom to make medical decisions for their children.” The legislation prevents transgender youth from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapy.
“When I took office, I made a promise to support parents because as parents, we know what’s best for our kids, not politicians in Frankfort or Washington,” Beshear says in the ad.
The Republican attacks on Beshear stem from a misinterpretation of his position, according to Chris Hartman, executive director of the Kentucky-based LGBTQ+ advocacy group, the Fairness Campaign, which has never endorsed such surgeries for minors.
The transgender healthcare legislation in Kentucky is part of a larger national movement, with approximately 20 states having enacted laws that limit or prohibit gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, many of which are now facing legal challenges.
Opponents of gender-affirming care express concerns about the long-term effects of these treatments on teenagers, maintaining that research is limited and focusing particularly on irreversible procedures like genital surgery or mastectomies, although such procedures are rare. Typically, doctors guide children toward therapy or voice coaching long before considering medical intervention. At that point, puberty blockers, anti-androgens that inhibit testosterone effects, and hormone treatments are more common than surgery. These treatments have been available in the United States for over a decade and are standard practices supported by major medical organizations.
Beshear’s decision to address the transgender issue driven by the GOP represents a new approach to his advertising strategy. He has largely focused on promoting Kentucky’s thriving economy, which includes record-breaking economic development and historically low unemployment rates, and these messages remain central to his campaign.
Meanwhile, Cameron has emphasized social issues in his bid to unseat Beshear in November, accusing the governor of “empowering a radical gender ideology.” Last month, the Republican nominee echoed the swarm of transgender-related attacks on Beshear, claiming that he and his allies “believe kids should have access to sex change surgery and drugs.”
Cameron has also criticized Beshear’s veto of a bill last year that aimed to ban transgender girls and women from participating in school sports that align with their gender identity. That veto was also overridden.
“Andy Beshear could not be further from your values than anything,” Cameron said in a recent speech.
Beshear accuses his Republican opponent of attempting to incite divisions with such rhetoric.
“I believe we’re better than that, and my faith teaches me that we should love one another as ourselves, without exceptions,” the governor said in the interview. “I think people out there are tired of division, tired of people shouting at each other, and they just want to support a candidate or have a government that focuses on what’s good for everyone.”