Speaking during the White House Press Gaggle on Monday, April 8, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the White House will continue advocating for the rights of transgender individuals after Pope Francis condemned “gender theory” in a declaration released by the Vatican on Monday, April 8 after about half a decade of consideration.
In that document, the Vatican, addressing “gender theory” from a religious angle, said, “Regarding gender theory, whose scientific coherence is the subject of considerable debate among experts, the Church recalls that human life in all its dimensions, both physical and spiritual, is a gift from God.”
It continued, “This gift is to be accepted with gratitude and placed at the service of the good. Desiring a personal self-determination, as gender theory prescribes, apart from this fundamental truth that human life is a gift, amounts to a concession to the age-old temptation to make oneself God, entering into competition with the true God of love revealed to us in the Gospel.”
Pressing KJP over what “devout Catholic” Joe Biden thought about the Vatican document, a reporter asked, during the press gaggle, “Karine, the Vatican, today, put out a new document that states gender-affirming operations risk, quote, “threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception,” and also denounces attempts to obscure, quote, “the sexual difference between man and woman.” Obviously, the President is a devout Catholic. I’m wondering if he has seen that document and if he has any comments on it.”
KJP, in response, said the White House was pleased by part of the document, but would continue to advocate for “transgender people” domestically and abroad. She began, “So, I — I’ll say this: So, we are pleased to see that the document you just mentioned, Tyler, further the Vatican’s call to ensure that LGBTQ+ are protected from violence and imprisonment around the world.”
Continuing, she suggested that the Biden White House disagrees with at least some of the document, saying, “However, the President will continue to be an advocate for the rights, safety, and dignity of the LGBTQ+ community, including transgender people, here in the U.S. — and not just here in the U.S. but also around the world. And I just don’t have anything else to add.”
Not done, the reporter pressed her over whether the Biden White House has any particular stance on the Vatican’s “gender theory” comments, saying, “What about the — what about the more specific comments about gender theory and — and transgender individuals?”
KJP, in response, said that it is not President Biden’s role to “litigate internal church policy,” telling the reporter, “Look, I’m going to be really careful and — and the President’s role to — to litigate internal church policy. It’s not — that’s not his role. So, I’m going to be super careful there.”
Continuing, she added that Biden has been “very clear” about supporting the “broader LGBTQ+ community,” saying, “But I can speak to the President’s stance, and he’s always been very clear on the importance of protecting — or having protections for the transgender community and the broader LGBTQ+ community. And that’s been very clear since day one of his administration.”
