Beshear melds ‘faith and fairness’ at Kentucky LGBTQ rally where 2028 looms
Faith and fairness were the overarching themes of Gov. Andy Beshear’s address at the Kentucky Fairness Rally as Beshear reiterated his support for the state’s LGBTQ community and hinted more at his possible candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president.
In both his time as governor and in the recent months of his press tours and comments as speculation increases that he’ll run in 2028, Beshear has couched his defenses of LGBTQ people in terms that relate to his Christian faith.
“I’m tired of faith being hijacked to hurt people instead of to help people. I think it’s time that we take it back as a force for good in public life,” Beshear said to a crowded room at the Capitol Education Center Wednesday.
The governor cited two different parables of Jesus’ works in his speech and referenced his Christian faith at the event, which is an annual gathering of LGBTQ advocates in the state in Frankfort.
It is something of a differentiating factor for Beshear among previous Kentucky governors — his father, former Gov. Steve Beshear, also a Democrat, defended Kentucky’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage — and among fellow Democratic presidential hopefuls, who don’t talk about faith as fluently.
The younger Beshear became the first sitting governor to speak at the annual Fairness Rally in 2020 and has since repeatedly spoken at the event.
Beshear has contrasted his own views on a hot-button issue like transgender women and girls participation in sports with that of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is considered by some to be a frontrunner for the 2028 nomination. Newsom said on his podcast that he doesn’t believe transgender girls should participate in girls sports, while Beshear said the decision should be up to agencies that oversee the sports.
It’s a meaningful difference in a Democratic Party that is still trying to figure out its national message on LGBTQ rights. One of the most memorable ads of the 2024 campaign cycle between former Vice President Kamala Harris and President Donald Trump insisted that Harris was for “they/them” and Trump was “for us.”
Kentucky Fairness Campaign Executive Director Chris Hartman said Democrats nationwide will find Beshear’s approach “to be a breath of fresh air.”
“He’s somebody who is coming and speaking with candor about what drives his values, how they are rooted in faith, and how faith and fairness can coexist together. The synergy there is what’s going to give folks the energy and the motivation to move forward. I think that Gov. Beshear has a really positive path forward for the entire nation,” Hartman said.
Hartman opened his introduction of Beshear with some jokes about 2028 and Beshear’s upcoming book release, which has been interpreted as a move in advance of the primary.
“He is officially running...“ Hartman began, pausing for dramatic effect as the crowd chattered. “...one of our nation’s most popular political podcasts!”
Beshear closed his speech hinting that his fight for LGBTQ rights on a presidential scale might look like how he’s pushed back against the GOP legislature. He has vetoed multiple bills related to the LGBTQ community, but all of them have been overridden by Kentucky’s Republican legislature, which hold four-fifths majorities in both chambers.
“Don’t back down — not to a Republican supermajority here, not to a president elsewhere. We know what’s right. We know we’re on the side of right, and I’ll keep standing up to him, or them, because I believe in you,” Beshear said.
Others in the crowd seemed energized by Beshear’s approach. Jerome Hickman, Jr., a Louisville resident, told the Herald-Leader he’d be first in line to help Beshear win the Democratic nomination.
“I hope he gets it. I’m going to canvass for him to make sure he gets it. I love his message because his message is he wants to make sure that everybody’s treated fair, treated equally, and that they don’t get discriminated against,” Hickman said.
A Democratic candidate for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, Erin Petrey, said she thought Beshear’s approach worked because it felt deeply rooted.
“He roots it in humanity. This isn’t about ‘you have to have a pride flag on’ or ‘you have to go to a drag show.’ It’s about just treating people like people because that’s the right thing to do,” Petrey said.
Other topics at Fairness event
Also at issue were pushes from the Republican-led state legislature.
Hartman and several speakers urged those in attendance to lobby against Senate Bill 72, which would allow Kentucky health care providers, including doctors, to refuse treatment if it were to go against their conscience. LGBTQ advocates argue it gives providers a free pass to discriminate in who they provide care for, but proponents say provides needed protections for doctors.
Hartman also warned against House Bill 468, which would strip power from the state and local human rights commissions that enforce civil rights law for the public, instead directing aggrieved people to hire lawyers and file lawsuits.
Elections this cycle were mentioned as well.
Former Kentucky poet laureate and bestselling author Silas House warned those in attendance about U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, a Republican who has for more than a decade represented much of Central Kentucky in Congress.
He referenced a recent ad from Barr where he tells the viewer “it’s not a sin to be white. It’s not against the law to be male. And it shouldn’t be disqualifying to be a Christian.”
“We have to do all we can to make sure that he does not become our next senator... He has voted consistently against equality acts, and he claims that straight white men are the ones who are under attack these days,” House said.
Two candidates for U.S. Senate this year, Democrats Charles Booker and House Minority Floor Leader Pamela Stevenson, D-Louisville, also spoke.
Stevenson expounded on Beshear’s theme of faith and LGBTQ rights, citing her role as an ordained minister in stating that “God makes no mistakes.”
Booker tied the use of LGBTQ people in political attack ads to his message on wealth inequality. He accused Republicans of “weaponizing identity” to “drive people apart,” and listed off a series of economic problems in the state.
“We could be addressing all of these issues, but instead of fighting for you, we have politicians who are using your identity to tear us apart so that they can rob us blind. So hear me clearly: we’re not taking the bait anymore,” Booker said.
This story was originally published February 26, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
