FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Governor Andy Beshear and Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman headlined Kentucky's annual Fairness Rally at the state capitol, voicing their opposition to legislation they believe discriminates against the LGBTQ community.
The rally, organized by the Fairness Campaign, drew a packed house of LGBTQ allies and focused largely on opposing Senate Bill 72, which would allow Kentucky healthcare providers to refuse non-emergency services if they conflict with their "sincerely held religious, moral, or ethical principles." The bill has already cleared the state Senate.
"Don't back down, not to Republicans 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 to the crowd.
Eli Banks and Josh Alfrey, who run a nonprofit serving marginalized residents in Morehead, attended the rally and said SB72 could deepen existing barriers to care.
"We need to be able to get our prescriptions, check in at reception, talk to nurses, there are so many people we meet, and their beliefs shouldn't impact our ability to get ethical medical care and for a doctor to uphold their Hippocratic Oath," Banks said.
Banks said the consequences of the bill could be severe for transgender patients in particular.
"Something like SB72 could do that, it could make someone say, 'You're trans? I'm not gonna work with you.' Then I don't get a breast exam and don't find out I have breast cancer, I mean that could be the consequence," Banks said.
The Fairness Campaign is urging supporters to contact their representatives before the bill moves further in the legislature.
For many attendees, the rally carried meaning beyond policy.
"I'm taking away the fact that I thought we were secluded and alone, but I see that there's a lot more at the capitol fighting for us, so that's what I'm taking away, I'm empowered by how many people are supporting us," Alfrey said.
