Democrat Governor Opposes Gender Change Surgeries For Kids After Supporting It

In a recent campaign ad, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear took a stance against gender reassignment surgeries for children, highlighting his support for parents’ decision-making. However, the Democratic governor’s supposed opposition to these procedures for minors has drawn suspicion given that he vetoed a bill that aimed to ban such surgeries in March.

.@realDailyWire: Democrat Governor Says He Doesn’t Support Sex-Change Operations On Kids. He Vetoed A Bill Banning Them. via @leif_lemahieu https://t.co/k9TIgRvXHD

— Sean Southard (@SeanSouthardKY) July 29, 2023

“I’ve never supported gender-reassignment surgery for kids, and those procedures don’t happen here in Kentucky,” he claimed in the ad released last week.

“When I took office, I vowed to support parents because as parents, we know what’s best for our kids, not politicians in Frankfort or Washington,” he added.

The bill vetoed by Beshear in March sought to prohibit puberty blockers, cross-gender hormones, and gender change surgeries, including double mastectomies, for girls identifying as boys. It also granted teachers the freedom to use biological pronouns for students and banned the teaching of gender ideology in schools.

However, the Republican-led House and Senate voted overwhelmingly to override the veto, turning the bill into law, even though a federal judge later blocked the prohibition of cross-gender hormones and puberty blockers.

In his veto message, he asserted that banning transgender hormonal procedures would lead to fatalities among Kentucky’s youth and emphasized that improving access to gender-affirming care is essential for the transgender population’s health outcomes.

While his conflicting moves have been pointed out, Beshear’s campaign manager, Eric Hyers, attempted to reaffirm the governor’s stance on trans procedures, saying, “Andy Beshear has always been clear that he does not support gender reassignment surgery for minors – which doesn’t happen in Kentucky.” 

Hyers criticized Beshear’s Republican opponent, Daniel Cameron, saying, “Daniel Cameron and his allies are pushing a blatantly false attack because they know they can’t win talking about Cameron’s record, which includes supporting cuts to teacher pensions and backing schemes to divert money out of our public schools.”

Cameron, Kentucky’s attorney general, is running against Beshear in the upcoming gubernatorial race this November. 

Sean Southard, the communications director for the Republican Party of Kentucky, criticized Beshear’s position on transgender procedures, arguing that the governor’s veto of the bill indicated his support for gender-change surgeries for kids.

“Now, in the heat of a campaign, Andy Beshear is misleading voters about his true beliefs. It’s a shame, and Kentuckians are smart enough to see through Andy Beshear’s lie,” Southard said.