Kentucky Democrats are calling for a Republican senator to step down over remarks the state party labels "homophobic" and "shameful." The calls stem from comments the lawmaker made about Gov. Andy Beshear's decision to attend an LGBTQ rally in the state Capitol.
Sen. Phillip Wheeler can be seen in a video shared by the Rowan County Republicans criticizing Beshear, who recently became the first sitting governor to attend the annual Fairness Rally in the Capitol rotunda. In the video, Wheeler displays a picture taken of the Democrat with a group of drag queens just outside his office — charging that the governor and the Democratic party are trying to convince Kentucky children that these values are "the right way to live."
Thursday, the Kentucky Democratic Party fired back, tweeting that "every single Kentuckian is welcome in the Capitol" and the attacks on the governor are "shameful." In a release, the party called on Wheeler to step down and Republicans to disavow his comments.
Wheeler told the Lexington Herald-Leader Wednesday he does not have a problem with the LGBTQ community, but he took issue with the attire worn by the drag queens in the photo — adding "we expect a certain amount of decency and decorum in our Capitol."
Update (5:45 pm):
A GOP senator who used a picture of the governor posing with drag queens at an LGBTQ rally to question Democratic Party values owes the people in the photo an apology. That's the response from Gov. Andy Beshear.
Republican lawmaker Phillip Wheeler is under fire for comments he made at a campaign event for Rep.-elect Richard White on Tuesday.
Beshear told reporters the remarks were unacceptable.
"They were absolutely homophobic," the Democrat said. "I don't think he is the fashion police for the Capitol. I believe he owes each and every one of them an apology. They are as much Kentuckians as anybody else."
The governor stopped short of endorsing the Kentucky Democratic Party demand that Wheeler resign, but he said that representatives ought to "represent every single person" in their districts.
