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andy beshear
LGBTQ+ Kentuckians Cheer as Beshear Bans 'Conversion Therapy' for Kids
"The draconian and deadly practice... is nothing more than physical, mental, and emotional torture," said the head of the National Association of Social Workers' Kentucky chapter.
Sep 18, 2024
LGBTQ+ rights advocates celebrated on Wednesday after Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order banning "conversion therapy" for minors across the state, citing medical experts' warnings about the dangerous practice that attempts to change a person's gender identity or sexual orientation.
"Kentucky cannot possibly reach its full potential unless it is free from discrimination by or against any citizen—unless all our people feel welcome in our spaces, free from unjust barriers and supported to be themselves," Beshear said in a statement. "Conversion therapy has no basis in medicine or science, and it can cause significant long-term harm to our kids, including increased rates of suicide and depression. This is about protecting our youth from an inhumane practice that hurts them."
Specifically, as Beshear's order details:
According to a 2021 survey by the Trevor Project, 75% of LGBTQ+ youth in America reported that they had experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity at least once in their lifetime. The Trevor Project's 2023 survey reported that 60% of LGBTQ+ youth in America reported that they had experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity within the prior year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics reported that LGBTQ+ youth face significant health disparities compared to their peers. The Kentucky Medical Association opposes conversion therapy in its policy manual.
In the 2023 survey by the Trevor Project, 15% of LGBTQ+ youth reported being threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy. In that same survey, 41% of LGBTQ+ youth reported seriously considering attempting suicide in the past year and 14% reported they had attempted suicide in the past year. Of those LGBTQ+ who had attempted suicide, 28% reported having been threatened with conversion therapy and 28% reported having been subjected to conversion therapy.
Kentucky on Wednesday joined 23 other states and the District of Columbia in fully banning the practice for minors, according to the Movement Advancement Project. Four other states plus Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, have partial bans for youth.
"We applaud Gov. Andy Beshear for his bold and necessary action to protect Kentucky's LGBTQ youth from the harmful practice of conversion therapy," said Fairness Campaign executive director Chris Hartman in a statement. "Today Gov. Beshear sends a crystal-clear message to all of Kentucky's LGBTQ kids and their families—you are perfect as you are."
While some Republican lawmakers in the state opposed Beshear's order and vowed to fight it, mental health leaders offered praise. Kentucky Mental Health Coalition's Dr. Sheila Schuster and Kentucky Psychological Association's Eric Russ both welcomed the move, with Russ declaring that it "will save lives."
Brenda Rosen, head of the National Association of Social Workers' Kentucky chapter, similarly cheered the ban, stressing that "the draconian and deadly practice of 'conversation therapy'... is nothing more than physical, mental, and emotional torture."
"We celebrate with individuals and communities across Kentucky and are eternally grateful that during September's National Suicide and Prevention Month, Kentucky is powering forward to save the lives of our youth and ensuring that our LGBTQ+ citizens know they are loved and valued in the Bluegrass state," Rosen said. "Thank you, Gov. Beshear, for your steadfast commitment to ensuring that Kentucky leads in compassion, kindness, and integrity."
The order was also praised by national advocates, including Born Perfect, a survivor-led campaign by the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
"We applaud Gov. Beshear's leadership in protecting LGBTQ youth and their families from so-called conversion therapy, which has been rejected as unethical and harmful by every leading medical and mental health association in the country," Born Perfect co-founder Mathew Shurka. "This is a landmark day for Kentuckians and survivors across the state."
As the Lexington Herald-Leaderreported Wednesday:
The move from Beshear comes as legislative efforts to ban conversion therapy have floundered—with those efforts coming primarily from Democrats—and as GOP efforts to limit the rights of trans youth have ramped up.
In 2023, Republicans proposed a raft of anti-LGBTQ bills, including [a] ban on gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth against the advice from Kentucky doctors who warned of the harm it would bring. That policy became law last summer.
Months later, during the 2023 race for the Kentucky governor's mansion, then-Attorney General Daniel Cameron ran a gubernatorial campaign against Beshear that hinged largely on an anti-trans sentiment.
The U.S. Supreme Court—which has a right-wing supermajority—has agreed to take up a challenge to Tennessee's 2023 ban on gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth. Its ruling next session is expected to impact policies across the country.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached by calling or texting 988, or through chat at 988lifeline.org.The Trevor Project, which serves LGBTQ+ youth, can be reached at 1-866-488-7386, by texting "START" to 678-678, or through chat at TheTrevorProject.org. Both offer 24/7, free, and confidential support.
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Progressives Warn Against Josh Shapiro as Kamala Harris Nears VP Choice
One critic argued Harris would risk alienating "precisely the people she needs to ensure her victory over Trump" if she picks Pennsylvania's governor as her running mate.
Aug 01, 2024
Reports that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is leaning toward selecting Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate have sparked warnings from progressives who say his record and policy positions on key issues—from Palestine to public schools to climate—are cause for serious alarm and should be disqualifying.
Earlier this week, dozens of progressive leaders from across the United States wrote in a letter to Harris that Shapiro's "support for school vouchers is in direct conflict with our teachers union allies and the Democratic Party Platform, threatening to undermine labor support" in a general election matchup with Republican nominee Donald Trump.
The letter's signatories recommended Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear as possible alternatives to Shapiro, who last year relented to pressure and vetoed a school voucher program that he previously supported.
The Philadelphia Inquirerreported last month that Shapiro "says school vouchers are still a priority for him."
"Democrats need a credible and respected voice that has a track record of winning over and exciting an electorate, especially the ability to turn out young voters, immigrants, and independents in swing states," reads the progressives' letter, signed by the chair of the California Democratic Party's Progressive Caucus, the head of the Nevada Democratic Party, the executive director of Progressive Democrats of America, a member of the Ohio Democratic Party's executive committee, and others.
"Shapiro has... done far more than most Democrats to attack pro-Palestine antiwar demonstrators, in ways that call into question his basic commitment to First Amendment rights."
Shapiro's attacks on pro-Palestine demonstrators and uncritical support for Israel—as well as his support for Pennsylvania's anti-boycott, divestment, and sanctions law—have also drawn progressive ire.
"Shapiro has... done far more than most Democrats to attack pro-Palestine antiwar demonstrators, in ways that call into question his basic commitment to First Amendment rights," writer David Klion argued in The New Republic last week, noting that the Pennsylvania governor compared protesters rallying against Israel's genocide in Gaza to the Ku Klux Klan.
"Then, in an executive order, Shapiro updated his administration's code of conduct to forbid state employees from engaging in 'scandalous or disgraceful' behavior, a vaguely worded instruction that civil libertarians immediately interpreted as threatening pro-Palestine speech," added Klion, who warned Harris that picking Shapiro could "discourage precisely the people she needs to ensure her victory over Trump."
A coalition of pro-Palestine groups has launched a website dubbing Shapiro "Genocide Josh" and warning Harris against picking him as her running mate.
"The left must unite over the next four weeks to ensure that America doesn't fall down the path of fascism, authoritarianism, and runaway corporatism," the website states. "It is in Harris' and the Democrats' best interests to listen to their base and ensure that both their new VP pick and their platform support the majority of Democrats and Americans who want social and economic justice for workers and an immediate cease-fire in Palestine."
Progressive organizers Jeff Cohen and Norman Solomon, co-founders of the advocacy group RootsAction, warned in aCommon Dreams op-ed Monday that if Harris "chooses a running mate who intensely connects her to Biden's policies on the Gaza war that are so unpopular with much of the Democratic base, party unity—and the chances of defeating Trump—would be undermined."
On top of his attacks on pro-Palestinian demonstrators and promotion of school vouchers, Shapiro has also faced criticism for supporting corporate tax cuts.
The American Prospect's David Dayen wrote Thursday that Shapiro is currently "trying to accelerate an already scheduled cut" to Pennsylvania's corporate tax rate "from 9.9% to 4.9%" as Democrats at the national level push for a repeal of Trump's massive tax cuts for big business and the rich.
Harris herself attacked Trump during an Atlanta rally earlier this week for wanting to "give tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations."
Harris is expected to announce her vice presidential pick ahead of a scheduled rally Tuesday in Philadelphia, part of a broader campaign swing through pivotal battleground states. According toPolitico, a Harris aide "cautioned against reading too much into the first city chosen for the tour," pushing back on speculation that the event's location confirms Shapiro will be Harris' running mate.
A survey released earlier this week showed that Trump is narrowly leading Harris in Pennsylvania, and it's far from clear that picking Shapiro as her running mate would help her win the state.
"Other names in the mix include Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg," Politico reported earlier this week. "Shapiro said on Tuesday that he had not spoken to Harris since July 21, the day that Biden dropped out."
Will Bunch argued in a column for The Philadelphia Inquirer "that it's no wonder that progressives seem to be lining up in the VP contest behind Minnesota's Walz, who like Shapiro has some policy wins on cherished liberal issues like expanding free school lunches but isn't lugging around political baggage like the Pennsylvania governor."
"Whether Harris, said to have close ties to Shapiro, sees it the same way will tell us a lot about her White House bid," Bunch added.
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Here's How It Would Work to Replace Biden Before or During the Democratic Convention
Biden stepping down and being replaced by a dynamic, younger candidate might be risky at this point. But it’s not as risky as a visibly enfeebled Biden staying in the race.
Jul 03, 2024
Since last week’s debate, plenty of smart people have argued that U.S. President Joe Biden must be replaced if former President Donald Trump is to be defeated and democracy protected. Among them are The New York Timeseditorial board, James Carville, David Remnick, former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau, Biden friend Tom Friedman, pollster Nate Silver, and too many more to name. Meanwhile, a post-debate CBS News/YouGov poll shows that 72% of registered voters think Biden does not have the “mental & cognitive health to serve as president,” while only 27% think he does; 63% think Biden should not be running for president while only 37% think he should be.
Despite that, Biden’s inner circle and leading Democratic officials have been pushing back with their own version of a “big lie” that we shouldn’t believe what we saw with our own eyes, Biden just had one bad night, and he’ll be just fine. But as Times columnist Bret Stephens wrote: “The transparent problem with the president’s performance wasn’t that he debated poorly. It’s that he is suffering from serious cognitive decline, something from which there is no coming back… To those who love the president, starting with his wife, it’s time to tell him: for God’s sake, and the country’s, and his own—don’t run.”
So, if Biden is to be replaced as the Democratic nominee, how would it work legally?
If President Biden withdrew, and one or more prominent younger Democrats threw their hat in the ring, the party would undoubtedly hold a series of debates and town halls to introduce them to national voters and see who performs best under the national spotlight.
There are approximately 3,933 regular convention delegates elected in primaries and caucuses, almost all of whom are Biden delegates. In addition there are 739 “automatic” or “superdelegates” who are mostly party functionaries and elected officials for a total of approximately 4,672 delegates. The regular delegates may vote on the first ballot, and to win nomination on the first ballot a candidate must garner a majority of these or about 1,968 delegates. According to rule changes adopted after the 2016 Hillary Clinton/Bernie Sanders contest, superdelegates may not vote on the first ballot. They can only vote in the second and subsequent ballots, if no candidate wins on the first ballot. It would then take a majority of all delegates, including regular and superdelegates, or approximately 2,258 votes to win the nomination.
While regular delegates normally vote for the candidate they are “pledged” to, according to rules adopted after the 1980 primary contest between Jimmy Carter and Ted Kennedy, regular delegates are not technically required to vote for the candidate whom they are pledged to.
According to the convention rules, regular delegates being required to vote for the candidate they are pledged to is aspirational, not binding. The rules state that “all delegates to the National Convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.” Thus, if in “good conscience” one or more regular delegate no longer believes her candidate reflects the sentiments of those who elected her, she has the right under the rules to vote for another candidate whom she believes in good conscience does—it’s apparently up to each delegate to make that call. Thus, at least in theory, even if Biden stays in the race, if there’s a big enough groundswell to replace him, he could fail to win the nomination on the first ballot.
In reality, if Biden stays in the race, that result is highly unlikely. The regular delegates are picked in the first place because they are generally loyalists of the candidate they’re nominated to support. And prominent Democrats who might be viable alternatives to Biden are probably too scared of threats to their careers from the Democratic establishment to directly challenge Biden at this point.
If, however, Biden withdraws his candidacy before the convention, it becomes an open convention. As Elaine Kamarck of the Brookings Institution, who helped write the party rules, states: “About 4,000 people have already been elected to the convention. If Biden stepped aside tomorrow, several people would get into the race, no doubt, and the race would consist of calling these people and trying to convince them. It would be an old-fashioned convention. All 4,000 delegates pledged to Biden would suddenly be uncommitted, and you’d have a miniature campaign.”
Among the possible alternatives to Biden are Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Vice President Kamala Harris. If President Biden withdrew, and one or more prominent younger Democrats threw their hat in the ring, the party would undoubtedly hold a series of debates and town halls to introduce them to national voters and see who performs best under the national spotlight. None of these potential candidates significantly differ from each other or President Biden on the main issues, so the campaign for a successor would likely turn on personality and which one seems the most electable.
If an alternative to Biden is nominated, there’s then the question of what happens to the campaign funds raised to date by Biden. According to an email from Trevor Potter of the Campaign Legal Center, if a candidate withdraws, then the candidate’s campaign committee may transfer the funds to the national party that may spend them on the new nominee. If Vice President Harris were the new nominee, since Biden and Harris currently share a campaign committee, she would have access to all the funds in the committee. However, Biden’s campaign committee would not transfer more than a de minimis part of the funds to another candidate’s campaign committee. Another candidate would need to rely on the funds transferred to the National Committee, raise new funds, or refund the money to the original donors who could then contribute to the new candidate.
Biden stepping down and being replaced by a dynamic, younger candidate might be risky at this point. But it’s not as risky as a visibly enfeebled Biden staying in the race when over 70% of registered voters say they don’t think he has the mental and cognitive ability to serve. If an ageing relative no longer has the capacity to drive safely and might crash his car into a school bus killing dozens of children, you take away his keys.
Indeed, with so many voters dreading a Biden-Trump rematch, an exciting new candidate might well inspire a wave of enthusiasm.
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