Watch: Kentucky governor cites faith in defending trans surgeries for youth

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says his Christian faith motivated his veto of legislation that would have prohibited sex-change surgeries for minors, a position he defended during an appearance on The View on Monday.

“People want to know what drives us, especially in a world of social media where everyone’s looking for the next authentic thing,” Beshear said. “For me, that’s my faith.” 

Beshear, a Democrat rumored to be considering a 2028 presidential bid, vetoed the bill in 2023, though the Republican-controlled Legislature later overrode him. He described the measure as “the nastiest piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation that ever came through my state.” 

In addition to banning trans surgeries for youth, the law also prohibits sex education in elementary schools, requires students to use school facilities based on their biological sex, prohibits schools from mandating use of a student’s preferred pronouns and requires parental notification if a child seeks mental health services at school. 

“I said my faith teaches me that all children are children of God and I didn’t want people picking on those kids,” Beshear said. 

The remarks drew criticism on social media. 

“Kentucky Democrat Governor Andy Beshear says that his ‘faith’ is what drives him to support the chemical and surgical mutilation of children in the name of gender ideology,” Libs of TikTok posted. 

In the same interview, Beshear called for removing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents “from every city and community” in the U.S. 

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