In a new re-election campaign ad, Democratic Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear says that he does not support sex change surgeries on children, despite the fact that he vetoed a bill banning the surgeries earlier this year.
Beshear, who is up for election in November, said that he does not support transgender surgeries for kids, but the Democrat has voiced support for other life-altering transgender procedures like puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.
“I’ve never supported gender-reassignment surgery for kids and those procedures don’t happen here in Kentucky. 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,” Beshear said in the new ad, which was released this week.
In March, Beshear vetoed a bill that banned puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex change surgeries like performing double mastectomies on girls who say they are boys. The bill also allowed teachers to not be compelled to use students’ so-called preferred pronouns and prohibits the teaching of gender ideology at schools.
The bill later became law after Republicans in the House voted 76-23 and 29-8 in the Senate to override the veto. A federal judge has since blocked the implementation of the bill’s prohibition of cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers, procedures that can be linked with osteoporosis and fertility issues.
“Andy Beshear has always been clear that he does not support gender reassignment surgery for minors – which doesn’t happen in Kentucky,” Beshear campaign manager Eric Hyers said. “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.”
Daniel Cameron, Kentucky’s attorney general, is challenging Beshear in the gubernatorial race this November. In 2020, former President Donald Trump won Kentucky by over 25 percentage points.
“Andy Beshear supports sex-change surgeries for kids because he vetoed the bill banning them in March,” Sean Southard, the communications director for the Republican Party of Kentucky, said in a statement. “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 lies.”
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In his veto message, Beshear explicitly said that kids in Kentucky would die if the legislature banned transgender hormonal procedures.
“Improving access to gender affirming care is an important means of improving health outcomes for the transgender population. Senate Bill 150 will cause an increase in suicide among Kentucky’s youth,” he claimed.
Many “detransitioners” have said that undergoing transgender procedures did not help their mental health. On Thursday, Chloe Cole testified before the House Judiciary Committee that she only became suicidal after doctors began to “transition” her through puberty blockers, testosterone, and removing her breasts.