Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear defended his veto of a ban on gender treatments for minors by citing the Bible.
Kentucky’s Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear referenced Scripture while defending his veto of what he called “anti-LGBTQ legislation” that sought to prohibit gender treatments for minors.
Potential 2028 presidential contender Andy Beshear drew criticism Monday after opponents accused him of misusing Scripture to justify his veto of legislation banning gender transition medical treatments for children.
“These days, it’s hard to be astounded by something absolutely ridiculous, or worse, coming from an officeholder when it comes to political office,” said Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, in a video message posted to X and first reported by The Christian Post.
“And frankly, if you’re coming up with a catalog of stupid things said on programs like ABC’s ‘The View,’ you’d better get ready for a very long list,” Mohler continued in his response. “But I don’t care how long your list is, this one’s going to rank at the top of stupid.”
During an appearance on ABC’s “The View” this week, the Democratic governor explained how his Christian faith shapes his leadership, including his opposition to legislation that limits treatments or protections for transgender youth.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear faced criticism from theologian Albert Mohler after citing the Bible in support of LGBTQ ideology.
“People want to know what drives us,” Beshear began. “For me, that’s my faith.”
“Most of the decisions I make are based on that Golden Rule that says we love our neighbor as ourself, and that parable of the Good Samaritan that says everyone is our neighbor,” he said.
“And so, when I’ve taken actions like vetoing the nastiest piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation that ever came through my state, I described it in those terms,” he continued. “I said my faith teaches me that all children are children of God, and I didn’t want people picking on those kids.”
Although Beshear did not specify the exact bill during the interview, he used similar language in 2023 when he vetoed Senate Bill 150. That measure aimed to expand parental rights in schools and barred healthcare providers from administering puberty blockers or performing gender surgeries on minors to alter their biological sex.
In 2023, Beshear said legislation prohibiting gender treatments for youth would increase suicides.
In his veto message at the time, Beshear wrote, “My faith teaches me that all children are children of God and Senate Bill 150 will endanger the children of Kentucky,” before arguing that the legislation would “cause an increase in suicide among Kentucky’s youth.” The Kentucky General Assembly later overrode his veto, allowing the bill to take effect.
Responding to the clip from “The View,” Mohler said the governor failed to clearly define his faith beyond referencing the Good Samaritan and the Golden Rule.
“I just want to point out that historic biblical Christianity is really clear about understanding creation order, as part of the goodness of creation itself,” he said. “He created us male and female. This is not an imposition among human beings who would otherwise be something else. This is God’s gift to us.”
Mohler argued that Christians who affirm LGBTQ ideology depart from the historic biblical interpretation of Scripture.
“You really are looking here at two different rival religions,” he said. “You have historic, orthodox, biblical Christianity, and you have theological liberalism and whatever it produces next.”
“It’s cut the Bible down to size,” he added of the latter position. “It doesn’t begin with Genesis 1, evidently just the Golden Rule and the Good Samaritan.”
Mohler concluded by urging Christians to exercise discernment when politicians cite the Bible to defend policies related to gender.
Beshear also referenced his faith when defending his 2025 veto of House Bill 495, which barred Medicaid coverage for sex-change procedures and sought to roll back Kentucky’s restrictions on conversion therapy.
Beshear’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Beshear remains one of the country’s most popular governors, maintaining high approval ratings as a Democrat in a state that President Donald Trump won by more than 30 points in 2024. Many view him as a potential 2028 presidential candidate.
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