Andy Beshear has a message for Democrats backing away from trans rights: ‘That is not the party that we are’

As some Democrats retreat from defending trans rights ahead of the midterm elections, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he’s not leaving anyone behind.

The red-state governor and potential 2028 presidential candidate told CNN he stands by his vetoes of anti-trans bills in the Bluegrass State. “Here's my take: We don't throw anybody under the bus,” Beshear said. “That is not the party that we are. We start as a party of compassion and empathy.”

Beshear, a Democrat, governs a state where President Donald Trump won more than 64% of the vote in the 2024 presidential election. His comments came in response to CNN host Jake Tapper citing a wave of Republican attack ads targeting trans rights, including the participation of transgender girls in girls’ sports.

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“In addition to that, some of the Democrats in red states and districts have responded in some cases saying trans girls should not participate in girls' sports,” Tapper said.

Beshear reiterated his long-standing position that sports governing bodies can address questions of fairness without lawmakers imposing sweeping bans on transgender athletes.

“In Kentucky, we already had rules in place with our Kentucky High School Athletic Association that prevented any of the things that you saw ultimately in colleges or the rest,” he said. “In Kentucky, we only had one trans athlete. She was a seventh grader that started a field hockey team in her middle school to make friends.”

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Beshear vetoed a bill in 2022 barring transgender girls and women from competing on girls’ and women’s school sports teams. He said politicians should not be overruling sports governing bodies. “I tell you what: if we want to ruin sports, put government in charge of them,” Beshear said.

The governor also discussed a separate measure he vetoed in 2023 with restrictions extending far beyond sports. “That bill you’re talking about didn’t just do that. It banned all trans care for youth, any and all, and removed the ability of any parent to make decisions on the health care for their children,” Beshear told Tapper. “So it was sweeping.”

The 2023 bill banned gender-affirming care for minors and public school instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity at all grade levels, and included parental notification requirements that threatened to out LGBTQ+ students. Ultimately, both bills became law after the Kentucky General Assembly overrode the vetoes.

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While Beshear said “sports needs to be fair” and referred broadly to concerns about transgender athletes in college sports, the defense of his vetoes contrasts with the positions of some Democrats in battleground races who have distanced themselves from defending trans rights.

Eight Democrats in the House supported a bill critics call a “don’t say trans” measure, warning it could lead to outing students. Texas Senate candidate James Talarico backtracked on his defense of trans athletes after voting against bans in the Texas Legislature, saying he now supports restrictions “if it endangers safety or fairness.” And Democratic operatives have increasingly urged candidates publicly not to spend extended amounts of time discussing trans rights.