The Democratic leader failed to complete the Bible verse he was quoting when describing transgender individuals as "made in the image of God."
March 31 marked International Transgender Day of Visibility, during which Democratic President Joe Biden released a video message to align himself with the cause. As a senator, the Democratic leader had supported an array of anti-LGBT legislation, which he described as "hateful bills" in several states that restrict or even prohibit transgender participation in girls' sports.
"To everyone celebrating Transgender Day of Visibility, I want you to know that your president sees you - Jill [Biden], Kamala [Harris], Doug [Harris], our entire administration sees you - for who you are: made an image of God and deserving of dignity, respect and support," President Biden said in the video, as reported by the New York Post.
But his statements drew the ire of Christians and conservatives, who raised that President Biden failed to complete the very Bible verse he was trying to quote. According to Scripture, the Bible verse Genesis 1:27 reads, "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
President Biden intentionally omitted the part where God created humans "male and female." Not the Bee criticized the Democratic leader's statements, writing, "By his administration's chosen policy to promote the social confusion, chemical castration, hormonal scarring, and surgical disfiguring of these male and female creations, President Biden is outwardly rejecting the very image God has given them."
In the video message, President Biden denounced individuals and entities that "don't see" or "don't respect" transgender individuals with the "onslaught of anti-transgender state laws attacking you and your families." He appeared to attack the number of measures passed by conservative states that limited or prohibited the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports.
President Biden declared that his administration is "standing up for you against all these hateful bills" and is "committed to advancing transgender equality in the classroom, on the playing field, at work, in our military, and our housing and health care systems - everywhere, simply everywhere."
The Biden administration's support for the LGBT community and transgender individuals specifically come at a time when more and more states are passing legislation that prevents male-born athletes who identify as female from participating in women's sports, using women's public spaces, and more. In fact, just this week, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a bill that prohibits transgender girls and women from partiicpating in sports teams consistent with their gender, CNN reported.
On Tuesday, the state House voted 1115 to 84 to pass House Bill 972 or "Fairness in Women's Sports Act," which states that sports teams that are sponsored by public school entities, state-sponsored institutions and some private institutions must be properly designated male, female, or coed and that "athletic teams or sports designated for females, women or girls...may not be open to students of the male sex."
Yet, Pennsylvania's Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf vowed to veto the bill, taking to Twitter to declare that Republican state leaders are "wasting time attempting" to "push transphobic legislation." He promised, "It won't get past my desk."
