“At the inaugural prayer service, the Right Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, made a direct appeal to President Donald Trump to have mercy on the LGBTQ+ community and undocumented migrant workers.” – Associated Press reporter Darlene Superville
In response, Trump demanded an apology, “for embarrassing him by … deliver[ing] a rare rebuke to his face”. No apology was offered.
Subsequent fallout included conservatives criticising her and calling for her deportation.
Here is my response, sent to her by email:
Dear Reverend Budde,
I am writing from Australia to thank you for your recent appeal to President Trump to show kindness and compassion towards marginalised peoples.
I personally know people in Africa who have been accepted as genuine refugees for resettlement in the USA, and they have now been advised that their resettlement has been cancelled by President Trump.
In the darkness and despair of their current situation, your words have given them hope that there are kind and compassionate people with the courage to stand up for decency and humanity.
I also know LGBT+ people in the USA and elsewhere who are indeed scared, and I want to thank you for acknowledging this reality and challenging those in power to consider the human consequences of their attitudes and actions.
I am an atheist and I share your concern for social justice, compassion and human rights. We both admire the principles of the refugee who is the central character of your religion.
Thank you for speaking up for those who have no voice. Thank you for lighting a candle in the darkness.
Yours most respectfully,
Geoff Allshorn
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA.
©2025 Geoff Allshorn
Well done Geoff. Rev Budde is a hero.
Hi Rod,
Yes, she is an even bigger hero than this story suggests. She was also responsible for this:
Matthew Shepard interred in a cathedral after twenty years of his parents fearing his grave would be desecrated.
Geoff.