On Sunday, Democrat Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock slammed Republicans for criticizing President Biden’s decision to declare Easter Sunday to be Transgender Day of Visibility, claiming that not being pro-transgender was the “opposite of Christianity.”
Warnock made his comments during a CNN interview with Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”
“The House Speaker called Biden’s announcement abhorrent and said he betrayed the central tenet of Easter,” Bash said. “What do you say to that?”
“Well, apparently, the speaker finds trans people abhorrent,” Warnock lashed out. “And I think he ought to think about that. The fact of the matter is, as you said, March 31 has been a day to lift up transgender people who endure violence and bigotry. Easter, the date changes every single day.”
“But this is just one more instance of folks who have — who do not know how to lead us trying to divide us. And this is the opposite of the Christian faith,” he continued. “Jesus centered to marginalize. He centered the poor. And in a moment like this, we need voices, particularly voices of faith, who would use our faith not as a weapon to beat other people down, but as a bridge to bring all of us together.”
Over the weekend, Joe Biden – a self-described devout Catholic – had proclaimed Easter to be the “Transgender Day of Visibility,” and his official White House account on X released a statement saying that trans-identifying individuals are “made in the image of God.”
The White House statement, which had also caused controversy by announcing that religious themed Easter egg designs would be banned from an annual art contest, sparked backlash by posting the following message on Easter: “Today, on Transgender Day of Visibility, I have a simple message to all trans Americans: I see you. You are made in the image of God, and you’re worthy of respect and dignity.”
In a statement from Biden, he announced that Easter would be the “Transgender Day of Visibility,” saying, in part, “we honor the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans and reaffirm our Nation’s commitment to forming a more perfect Union — where all people are created equal and treated equally throughout their lives…”
“Transgender Americans are part of the fabric of our Nation. Whether serving their communities or in the military, raising families or running businesses, they help America thrive. They deserve, and are entitled to, the same rights and freedoms as every other American, including the most fundamental freedom to be their true selves… No one should have to be brave just to be themselves,” the statement said.
