(LifeSiteNews) — A Christian Democrat lawmaker in Kentucky defended his attempt to squash a measure to prevent the transgender mutilation of children, arguing it was “the right thing to do” and that “all children are children of God.”
Earlier this year, Kentucky Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear opted to veto a measure to protect gender-confused children from harmful puberty-blocking drugs, sterilizing cross-sex hormones, and permanently mutilating transgender surgeries. Republican lawmakers overrode the veto on the bill, SB 150, in March.
Beshear, a Christian and a deacon who won re-election over Republican challenger and current state Attorney General Daniel Cameron this month, attempted to push back against Republican opponents who accused him of promoting transgender mutilation of children. He argued that his “position on this has always been clear” and that he has “never supported gender reassignment surgery for minors, and they don’t happen in Kentucky.” However, the University of Kentucky admitted to removing the breasts of girls as young as 16 for “gender reassignment” purposes, contradicting Beshear’s claims, LifeSiteNews previously reported.
READ: Democrat governor wins re-election in Kentucky over Republican who defended state’s pro-life law
On Monday, Beshear told former White House Press Secretary and current MSNBC host Jen Psaki he stands by his decision and argued that Republican rhetoric surrounding the transgender issue in Kentucky had been “gross” and “cruel.”
“All children are children of God. That’s what my faith teaches me, and I was going to stand up especially for the most marginalized children that didn’t deserve either a state legislature or an entire campaign and all these super PACs picking on them,” Beshear said.
“All children are children of God…I was going to stand up for the most marginalized children that didn’t deserve either a state legislature or an entire campaign and all these Super PACs picking on them.”@GovAndyBeshear on the GOP’s sweeping anti-trans bill in Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/XOZQ1ZicK7
— Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) November 21, 2023
“These are individuals that are already at the margins. The studies show they suffer more mental health issues, are more at risk for suicide,” he continued. “We ought to be in the suicide prevention business and not further harming kids who are going through too much.”
But even prominent leaders in the transgender medical field have acknowledged that “social contagion” is a factor in rising numbers of trans identification among children and youth, an acceptance of a false reality that can have drastic consequences.
The recent spike in transgender identification and surgical and chemical mutilation of children has coincided with kids across the country being actively encouraged in the culture and their classrooms to adopt “transgender,” “gender fluid,” or “non-binary” identities.
And despite the public encouragement for children to identify as transgender, research published in March 2022 found that “82% of transgender individuals have considered killing themselves and 40% have attempted suicide, with suicidality highest among transgender youth.”
Moreover, a lengthy study by Richard Bränström, Ph.D., and John E. Pachankis, Ph.D. that appeared to support the theory that “gender-affirming care” improves mental health was later retracted. A 2020 correction found the “results demonstrated no advantage of surgery in relation to subsequent mood or anxiety disorder-related health care visits or prescriptions or hospitalizations following suicide attempts in that comparison.”
In addition, studies indicate that over 80 percent of children suffering from gender dysphoria will outgrow it on their own by late adolescence without obtaining permanent and debilitating surgical or pharmaceutical interventions. Some of the recorded harmful effects of transgender surgeries and drugs include cardiovascular diseases, loss of bone density, cancer, strokes and blood clots, infertility, and suicidality.
Regardless, Beshear said he attempted to stop the Kentucky legislature’s bill to protect kids “because it was the right thing,” and accused his defeated gubernatorial competitor – who has been outspoken about his opposition to the transgender mutilation of children and allowing allegedly gender-confused boys to compete against girls – of engaging in “gross” and “cruel rhetoric “to get folks angry.”