Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock suggested opposition to Transgender Day of Visibility went against tenets of the Christian faith.
Warnock made his comments during a Sunday appearance on CNN's State of the Union with host Dana Bash.
Bash noted Transgender Day of Visibility, which began its annual celebration in 2009, has always been held on Mar. 31, while the date of Easter Sunday changes year to year. Bash also referenced Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who lambasted President Joe Biden's decision to proclaim Easter Sunday as Transgender Day of Visibility. The Biden White House has betrayed the central tenet of Easter — which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Banning sacred truth and tradition—while at the same time proclaiming Easter Sunday as “Transgender Day”—is outrageous and abhorrent. The American people are taking note. pic.twitter.com/ZCExyVkAVS
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) March 30, 2024
"Apparently the Speaker finds trans people 'abhorrent,'" Warnock said, referencing Johnson's remarks. "I think he ought to think about that."
"This is just one more instance of folks who ... do not know how to lead us trying to divide us," Warnock continued. "This is the opposite of the Christian faith."
"Jesus centered the marginalized. He centered the poor," Warnock continued. "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."
Warnock cited the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., adding he was "honored to preach from that pulpit every single day."
"It is a faith that guides me in my work as a United States senator trying to cap the costs of insulin so folks can afford it, trying to make sure first-time homeowners can buy a home, and that our children are not so awashed in student debt that they have a mortgage before they have a mortgage," he added.
On Saturday, Biden issued a statement from the White House proclaiming Sunday as 2024's Trans Day of Visibility, marking the fourth consecutive year for the president.
"I am proud that my Administration has stood for justice from the start, working to ensure that the LGBTQI+ community can live openly, in safety, with dignity and respect," Biden wrote. "I am proud to have appointed transgender leaders to my Administration and to have ended the ban on transgender Americans serving openly in our military. I am proud to have signed historic Executive Orders that strengthen civil rights protections in housing, employment, health care, education, the justice system, and more. I am proud to have signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, ensuring that every American can marry the person they love."
