Latest news with #FairnessCampaign
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gov. Beshear's conversion therapy, transgender Medicaid coverage veto overturned
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — The General Assembly has overturned the governor's veto on House Bill 495. 'The Republican-led legislature just overrode my veto on House Bill 495, which will allow conversion therapy in Kentucky,' Gov. Andy Beshear announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, on the afternoon of March 27. Gov. Beshear vetoes bill aimed at overturning conversion therapy ban and Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care Beshear banned conversion therapy in the Commonwealth with a September 2024 executive order. House Bill 495 saw a last-minute addition before the veto recess, moving forward with not only repealing a conversion therapy ban but also impacting transgender people on Medicaid. Medicaid coverage for cross-sex hormones or gender reassignment surgery will now be banned. The Family Foundation policy director, Nick Spencer, supports the bill. He told FOX 56 he believes the governor's executive order banning conversion therapy in the Commonwealth limits free speech, and people should be able to choose the counseling that fits them. Gov. Beshear veto against tolls on new I-69 bridge overriden Here's how to watch the Wildcats play against Tennessee on a giant screen for free Lexington Legends announce partnership with Kentucky bourbon, exclusive giveaway 'Win for free speech, religious liberty, and for fiscal and moral sanity! Gov. Beshear's veto on HB 495 has been overridden by both chambers. KY counselors and pastors can once again share the truth about God's design for gender and sexuality. And our tax dollars will no longer pay for gender mutilation via Medicaid,' The Family Foundation wrote on X Thursday afternoon. The Fairness Campaign called the override devastating. 'It's a sad day in Kentucky. Two anti-LGBTQ bills will become law with devastating consequences for our community. HB495 opens the door to 'conversion torture' and denies Medicaid coverage for transgender healthcare. Likewise, SB2 denies healthcare to transgender inmates. Both are cruel and have no place in our Commonwealth,' Fairness Campaign Executive Director Chris Hartman said. Gov. Beshear vetoes 9 bills on education, healthcare, and more on Wednesday Senate Bill 2 was passed into law without the governor's signature. Beshear said that he doesn't believe that the state should pay for gender reassignment surgeries for convicted felons 'as this would mean those in prison would receive better access to medical care than a law-abiding citizen.' Beshear shared a video explaining the reported dangers the bill poses. 'Listen to the experts and survivors who know how dangerous this torture is. These are the voices they didn't want you to hear. I hope you'll listen,' he said. Click here to view the governor's response. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Conversion therapy protected in Kentucky as legislature overrides Beshear veto
Supporters of LGBTQ+ rights draped banners in the Kentucky Capitol on the day Republicans finalized enactment a new law protecting conversion therapy and barring Medicaid from paying for transgender care. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) FRANKFORT — Kentucky's Republican-controlled legislature voted largely along party lines to override Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of a bill to cancel his restrictions on conversion therapy and prohibit Medicaid from covering transgender-affirming medical care. That means House Bill 495 will become law. It has an emergency clause, meaning that will happen immediately. In a statement after both chambers overrode the veto, Chris Hartman, the executive director of the Fairness Campaign, called it a 'a sad day in Kentucky.' 'HB 495 opens the door to 'conversion torture' and denies Medicaid coverage for transgender healthcare,' Hartman said. Conversion therapy is a discredited practice that attempts to alter gender expression and sexual attraction that diverges from heterosexual normativity 'with the specific aim to promote heterosexuality as a preferable outcome,' according to the The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.' In 2024, Beshear signed an executive order aimed at ending the practice on Kentucky minors. 'Conversion therapy has no basis in medicine or science and causes significant long term damage to our kids, including increased rates of suicide, anxiety and depression,' he wrote in his veto message on HB 495. 'As leaders and policy makers, we should be in the business of protecting our citizens and kids from harm, not subjecting them to discredited methods that jeopardize their health, well being and safety.' Beshear's veto message did not mention the bill's ban on Medicaid covering gender-affirming medical care. Early Wednesday afternoon, the House voted to override the veto 78-20 along party lines. Democrats reiterated many of their previous objections, saying the bill was an 'overreach' and 'oppression.' 'I am here to stand in the gap between our trans friends, neighbors and constituents and the oppression that this body is inflicting on them,' said Rep. Lisa Willner, D-Louisville. 'This is going to be one of those times when we look back in history and say, 'was I on the right side of history?'' Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, D-Louisville, appeared to invoke a Lady Gaga song when she said, 'you're born this way' to LGBTQ+ Kentuckians while asking her colleagues to let Beshear's veto stand. Marzian said she hopes lawmakers don't 'go after' another minority population next year 'to make us feel good about ourselves. I hope it's not the disabled or mentally ill that we decide are less than us,' she said. Rep. Joshua Watkins, D-Louisville, said he's heard from constituents who are 'scared and terrified' of the legislation. Rep. Ken Fleming, R-Louisville, said that no matter where anyone stands on conversion therapy, Beshear 'overreached' his powers by issuing an executive order on the matter. A few hours later, the Senate voted 31-6 to override the veto. Sen. Robin Webb, D-Grayson, sided with Republicans in voting to go against Beshear. Sen. Karen Berg, D-Louisville, said it is 'absolutely appalling that we can sit here over and over and over again and legislate against a small, small group of people in this country that, by the way, do exist and do have every right to exist.' 'We know that kids who were forced to go through conversion therapy are twice as likely to attempt suicide,' Berg said. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988. 'Why in the heck do we do this over and over and over again? Get over your hate,' Berg said. 'Let people live their lives the way they choose to.'
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kentuckians rally against anti-LGBTQ bills at capitol rotunda: ‘Be brave'
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — Hundreds of Kentuckians gathered at the Capitol Rotunda to rally against several bills being labeled as anti-LGBTQ. The demonstration comes as the state legislature debates a range of bills that some say would negatively impact the rights of LGBTQ individuals. Read more of the latest Kentucky news Gov. Andy Beshear headlined the event, acknowledging the fear many LGBTQ Kentuckians feel as the bills move through the legislature. 'A lot of people are scared right now about what the president is going to do next and your rights being in danger to our LGBTQ Kentuckians. We're here for you; we see you, we love you, and we support you,' Beshear said. At the forefront of many people's minds was House Bill 495, which seeks to overturn the Governor's executive order banning conversion therapy. Rep. Adrielle Camuel voiced strong opposition to the bill as well as several others, saying it's not just a policy issue but a personal one. 'They're designed to inflict harm and to put people in a box or to put them back in their place. These measures don't just threaten policies; they threaten people,' Camuel said. Beshear offered a glimmer of hope, promising that if the bill were to pass, he would veto it. However, with Republicans holding a supermajority in the General Assembly, the veto could be easily overridden. Florida remains identified as transgender Kentucky woman 36 years later Have you seen him? 15-year-old reported missing in Frankfort Kentuckians rally against anti-LGBTQ bills at capitol rotunda: 'Be brave' There are currently nearly 20 LGBTQ-related bills being proposed in the state, many of which are expected to negatively impact LGBTQ Kentuckians, according to Fairness Campaign Executive Director Chris Hartman. Emma Curtis, District 4 councilwoman for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council, said, 'I told you that things might get worse before they got better. And I think we can all agree they've gotten worse – but I'm here today to tell you that apathy is not an option, that hope is not a distraction – it is the solution,' Curtis declared. The rally was filled with energy, with attendees ready to fight against the proposed legislation. Read more of the latest news in politics Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman encouraged the crowd to hold their leaders accountable for their actions, not just their words. 'As people show up, don't listen to their words. Watch their actions, watch their actions, and make sure that you hold these folks accountable. Be bold, be brave,' added Coleman. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘We will not be erased:' LGBTQ+ Kentuckians rally for fairness in Capitol
Attendees at the 2025 Fairness Rally hold signs. March 11, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) FRANKFORT — Gov. Andy Beshear plans to veto a bill that would undo his executive order restricting conversion therapy in Kentucky, should it pass the legislature and reach his desk. He made the promise at the 2025 Fairness Rally, held in the Capitol rotunda Tuesday. Beshear, who made history in 2020 as the first sitting governor to attend a fairness rally, called conversion therapy 'torture.' 'It has been discredited, and it should not be happening in the Commonwealth of Kentucky,' Beshear said, to cheers from the crowd gathered. The Republican-controlled legislature has the votes to easily overturn any veto. Conversion therapy is a discredited practice that attempts to alter a person's sexuality. Specifically, it attempts to alter gender expression and sexual attraction that diverges from heterosexual normativity, 'with the specific aim to promote heterosexuality as a preferable outcome,' according to the The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.' In 2024, Beshear signed an executive order aimed at ending the practice on Kentucky minors. Speaking Tuesday, he touted his record on LGBTQ+ issues, including vetoing the 2023 Senate Bill 150, which banned gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. He called the legislation, which became law despite his veto, 'the nastiest piece of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that this state had ever seen.' 'I know a lot of people are scared right now about what the president is going to do next, and your rights being in danger,' Beshear said. 'To our LGBTQ Kentuckians, we're here for you. We see you, we love you and we support you.' When introducing Beshear, Chris Hartman, the executive director for the Fairness Campaign, praised him for appearing at every Fairness Rally since becoming governor. 'He's the most pro-equality governor in the history of the commonwealth of Kentucky and if we are lucky, he just might be the most pro-equality president,' Hartman said. The crowd cheered and chanted 'Andy, Andy, Andy' to this. Beshear was joined by a slate of Democratic politicians, lawmakers and advocates who criticized other bills they said are discriminatory toward the LGBTQ+ community and called on more LGBTQ+ people to run for office. Speakers included Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, Senate Minority Leader Gerald Neal, Senate Minority Caucus Chair Reggie Thomas, Lexington Councilwoman Emma Curtis, Rep. Lisa Willner, D-Louisville, and others. In addition to the conversion therapy bill, the Fairness Campaign opposes Senate Bill 2, a high-priority bill that would bar the use of public funds to offer gender-affirming care to transgender inmates in Kentucky, affecting about 67 people. Sen. Karen Berg, D-Louisville, said those in support of legislation to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in public institutions 'are trying to figure out who they do not want in their society' and 'trying to legislate a way to keep you out.' 'These people who are writing … these bills, trying to get them passed through our Senate, are bigots. They are racists, they are homophobic and they are misogynists,' said Berg, who lost her transgender son in 2022 to suicide. The National Sucide Prevention Lifeline is 988. 'But we do not give up. We do not give in. We keep marching. We keep showing up, we keep being proud of who we are, because that is what God wants us to do,' Berg added. Sen. Keturah Herron, D-Louisville, lamented the anti-DEI bill making its way through the legislature, saying a few hours after the rally she would have to 'go debate something that should not even be on the table.' 'This work is difficult. It's hard,' added Herron, Kentucky's first openly LGBTQ+ female senator. 'This is our civil rights movement. This is our time to show up. This is our time to organize. This is our time to stand together.' Rep. Adrielle Camuel, D-Lexington, said the DEI and conversion therapy bills are 'designed to be cruel' and 'to inflict harm and to put people in a box or to put them back in their place.' 'These measures don't just threaten policies. They threaten people — real lives, real families,' said Camuel. 'The anti-diversity, equity and inclusion bill isn't just an attack on programs. It's an attempt to erase the beautiful diversity that makes our community strong. And the conversion therapy bill, it is an attempt to make you hide your true self, the very thing that makes you and our commonwealth so very special.' Carma Bell Marshall, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Kentucky House of Representatives in 2024 and was the first Black openly transgender person to run, said 'change is slow, but it is inevitable, because the truth is on our side' and 'humanity is on our side.' 'Right now, in Kentucky and across this country, we are witnessing attacks on trans lives in the form of cruel legislation, policies designed to erase, to silence, to make us feel small,' said Marshall. 'But let me tell you something: we are not small, we are not weak and we will not be erased.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill barring use of public funds on transgender treatments for Kentucky inmates advances
From left, Hannah Callahan, Chris Hartman and Jacks Gilles testify against Senate Bill 2, barring gender-affirming care for Kentucky inmates, including phasing out transgender inmates' ongoing hormone treatment. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) FRANKFORT — Under a Republican bill advancing in the Kentucky legislature, a reported 67 incarcerated people would have to stop taking 'cross sex hormones' if the treatments are paid for with public funds. Advocates who asked — in vain — members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote against Senate Bill 2 said it's unfair to target such a small population. Chris Hartman, the executive director of Kentucky's Fairness Campaign, called the bill 'a politically motivated attack against one of our smallest and most vulnerable communities.' 'You cannot tell me,' he said, 'that this is one of the most pressing issues for the vast majority of Kentuckians.' The bill says public dollars cannot be used to fund a 'cosmetic service or elective procedure' for Kentucky inmates. It also says if a health care provider documents that ending a treatment would harm an inmate, use of the drug or hormone may be 'systematically reduced and eliminated.' It passed Thursday's committee along party lines. One Republican took issue with forcing a transgender prisoner to end a medical treatment that's already underway. 'I think the intent of this bill is not to have the state pay for operations that are elective while people are in prison,' said Sen. Michael Nemes, R-Sheperdsville, who passed on the vote. 'I don't think the intent of the bill is to deny medical treatment that they're already receiving, and I need clarification that that does not stop that.' Rep. Kim Moser, R-Taylor Mill, has filed similar legislation, House Bill 5. Hers, though, would allow continued treatment 'if the inmate was undergoing this treatment upon admission to the correctional facility and physical harm would result from its discontinuation,' according to the bill. 'Kentucky taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund cosmetic or elective procedures for individuals who have committed crimes against the Commonwealth and its citizens,' Moser said in a statement. 'I filed HB 5 to protect the use of taxpayer funding, ensuring that public funds are spent responsibly.' Moser's bill covers plastic surgery, knee replacement surgery, breast augmentation, gender reassignment surgery and prescribing or administering cross-sex hormones. Wilson's focuses on the last two treatments. SB 2's sponsor, Senate Majority Whip Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, called it a 'simple' bill to address an issue that came up last year involving a Kentucky Department of Corrections regulation allowing transgender inmates to apply for gender-affirming treatments. Sen. Reggie Thomas, D-Lexington, echoed concerns that the population in question is small. 'We're not damaging the state budget by treating 67 people,' he said. He called focusing on that many people 'a distortion of priorities.' Wilson said he was aware of 67 inmates receiving 'cross sex hormones' but knows of no evidence Kentucky prisoners have undergone gender reassignment surgeries while incarcerated. But, he added, 'it's in their policy that they will provide that, so we can't really trust that they're not going to do that.' Kentucky Republicans condemn state policies on gender-affirming care for inmates Gov. Andy Beshear has said he thinks inmates do not have the right to 'any and all medical surgeries paid for entirely by tax dollars.' In December, Beshear said a regulation under fire from Republicans would be pulled and aligned with an opinion from Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman that there is no federal requirement for the state to provide prisoners with gender-affirrming care. Minority Floor Leader Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Louisville, said 'I'm not going to put myself in the place of a doctor, which I have no training in,' when explaining his vote against the bill. Four people testified against the bill, including transgender Kentuckians and other advocates. Jacks Gilles, a Louisville psychologist, testified that ending the treatments laid out in the bill 'will result in negative health outcomes, including increased anxiety, disturbances in social and familial relationships, depression, suicidality and death.' The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988. 'Gender affirming medical care is not experimental, it's not elective, and it's not cosmetic,' Gilles said. 'Treatment for gender dysphoria has proven to be necessary for individuals to lead happy, healthy lives, and is rooted in decades of scientific research, testing and practice.' Emma Curtis, a Lexington council member and openly transgender Kentuckian, appealed to religion in her testimony. She read two Bible verses about treating everyone with kindness. 'I ask you to heed those words,' she said, 'to act in a Christ-like manner and to vote no on Senate Bill 2.' Hannah Callahan, who lives in Lexington and was incarcerated 'many, many years' into being on hormones, 'a treatment my doctor considered medically necessary.' Callahan said she couldn't access her weekly injection for a while after going to jail and 'being denied my medically necessary health care was far worse punishment than the one that I actually received from the actual judge.' 'Those weeks without medical treatment were an absolute nightmare. Suddenly, my body and my mind began to change and I had a rapid decrease in body fat and other physical side effects that triggered extreme gender dysphoria, body dysmorphia and mental anguish,' Callahan said. 'I suddenly became weak and lethargic. I spent most of my time in my bunk asleep. I didn't have a clear head, and my mind felt numb. My depression became so severe that I contemplated suicide.' The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988. Callahan called the experience 'cruelty' and told lawmakers if they passed Wilson's bill, 'you could be sentencing (people) to death without meaning to.'
