An American Bishop Mariann Budde has urged the United States President, Donald Trump to withdraw his administration’s policies that target migrants and the LGBTQ community, which encompasses individuals who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer saying, show them mercy.
This follows Trump’s executive orders signed hours after assuming office to deport all illegal immigrants residing in the country and to recognize only the female and male genders including the stripping off the transgender right.
Budde, who made this request during her sermon for the inaugural prayer service yesterday, pleaded with the president to consider the fears and struggles of these groups, including gay, lesbian, and transgender children, and immigrants who are not criminals but are often marginalized and persecuted.
“I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives”
“The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here,” said the leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.
During a session with newsmen after the service, Bishop Budde disclosed that she had decided to speak to the president directly because “of the fear that I have seen and experienced among our people adding that people that I know and love, both within the immigrant community and within the L.G.B.T.Q. community, and how terrified so many are.”
“The level of license to be quite cruel” that some people feel now. I wasn’t necessarily calling the president out. I was trying to say, ‘The country has been entrusted to you. And one of the qualities of a leader is mercy, right? Mercy. And to be mindful of the scared people, ” Bhude explained.
Meanwhile, President Trump when asked what he thought of the service said, “I didn’t think it was a good service, no.”
Shortly after, Trump doubled down on his criticism in a post on Truth Social, calling on Bishop Budde and her church to apologize and saying she had made inappropriate statements alleging that immigrants had come to the United States illegally and killed people.
“She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart,” the president wrote.
Trump began his presidency two days ago with executive actions that aimed to turn his campaign rhetoric into tangible policies, including one that rescinded a Biden administration order that sought to prevent discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.
His executive order, according to the administration, seeks to defend women against “gender ideology extremism” that allows biological males to undermine their rights and privacy. And the definitions it sets forth go further to define “sex more explicitly.”
Under the order signed by the president, males and females would be defined at “conception,” the text states. Someone who eventually produces “the large reproductive cell” would be deemed female. A male would be defined as the person who eventually “produces the small reproductive cell.”
The order also says that the federal government would no longer recognize “gender identity,” and only “sex” as defined by “an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female.”
The order also prohibits the use of federal funds for any promotion of “gender ideology” through grants or other government programming, as well as the use of public funding for transition-related medical procedures in prisons.
