Beshear calls on more Kentucky officials to condemn Deters' 'racist and homophobic' remarks

Gov. Andy Beshear is speaking out about "blatantly racist and homophobic comments" made by a former candidate in the 2023 gubernatorial primary, and he doesn't think he should be alone.

Beshear called on other public figures and elected officials Thursday to condemn Eric Deters, a Northern Kentucky attorney who ran to be the GOP's candidate for governor in the general election, over comments Deters has made over the years on social media and in videos. Those remarks, which include questioning why white people can't use a racial slur in reference to Black people and using slurs in reference to gay people, have drawn attention online this month after a video compilation of several such instances was published on YouTube.

Deters' comments have drawn criticism from U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Northern Kentucky Republican who spoke out earlier this month after attorney general and GOP gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron said he planned to attend a political rally hosted by Deters in September before later reversing course. And at a press conference this week, Kentucky's Democratic governor said Massie "was right to do so."

"I fully condemn each of these statements this individual made, and I call on every other elected official to do so," said Beshear, who did not reference Deters by name. "The way we root out hate and end it is to make sure we call it out when it’s there, no matter who is saying it – that we give it no space and no oxygen, and every single individual out there in a leadership position fully condemns it."

In a self-published video recorded in response to those comments, Deters on Thursday argued his endorsement of Cameron, a Black man, stands in opposition to claims he's a racist, noting he's published "so much content" over the years and that the clips in the YouTube video were taken out of context.

“I am not homophobic and racist at all," Deters said. "… I can explain every single thing I’ve ever said in context of where I said it, how I said it, the time, facts and events.”

Beshear is running against Cameron in this fall's race for governor.

Cameron had previously planned to attend Deters' planned "Freedom Fest" rally in September, with a reported list of speakers that includes Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle and Dog the Bounty Hunter. But he reversed course days later after the plan was criticized by Massie (who said Cameron's advisers were "guilty of political malpractice") and a number of other statewide Republicans, with his representatives saying Cameron has "other campaign events" scheduled on the day of the event.

Cameron, meanwhile, has not publicly condemned Deters' remarks. When asked twice for a response earlier this week by the Lexington Herald-Leader, Cameron pivoted to criticism of the outlet's political cartoonist and criticism of Beshear instead. And when asked by The Courier Journal on Thursday for a response to comments by both Beshear and Deters, his campaign said Beshear and other Kentucky Democrats didn't defend Cameron "when a liberal cartoonist depicted him as a member of the KKK."

"It’s pretty audacious for Andy Beshear to suddenly find his voice when he’s been silent about the vitriol Daniel Cameron has faced for years," the campaign said in an email.

Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Andy Beshear rips Eric Deters' racist remarks as Daniel Cameron pivots