Catholic Joe Biden: Most Pro-LGBTQ+ President in U.S. History

President Joe Biden

Joe Biden’s presidency and 50-year political career ended yesterday with the inauguration of a new administration.  Biden was the nation’s first Catholic Vice President and the nation’s second Catholic President.  According to The Washington Blade, the gay newspaper of the nation’s capital, advocates are saying he was also the most pro-LGBTQ+ President in U.S. history.

Yesterday, a new administration was installed in Washington, DC, and once again, a Catholic Vice President is in office, only the second one in American history.  JD Vance, however, has totally opposite views from Biden on LGBTQ+ issues, and advocates are bracing for tough political battles to maintain hard-won advances and to forestall any new oppressive laws.

In one sense, these two Catholic political leaders mirrors the same split that the church as an institution faces between pro and anti LGBTQ+ leaders in its ranks.  Fortunately, for the church, the forces on the pro-LGBTQ+ side are currently in the ascendancy, thanks to many signs of openness from Pope Francis and the Vatican, as well as by the many bishop and other church leadership positions that have been filled by people who lean towards greater openness and dialogue with LGBTQ+ people, some even calling for some structural changes in the church.

The best example, and one that will be extremely important for the coming LGBTQ+ political debates, is the appointment of Cardinal Robert McElroy to lead the Archdiocese of Washington.  I, for one, am eager to see how he will engage with the new political administration, particularly with the new Catholic Vice President, and particularly on LGBTQ+ issues.

The Washington Blade summarized Biden’s pro-LGBTQ+ record:

“The past four years offer a wealth of evidence to support the claim, from the passage of legislation like the landmark Respect for Marriage Act to the promotion of LGBTQ rights abroad as a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy, impactful regulatory moves in areas like health equity for gay and trans communities, and the record-breaking number of gender and sexual minorities appointed to serve throughout the federal government and on the federal bench.”

The newspaper conducted a sort of “exit interview” with Biden, and the now former president explained some of the personal motivation behind his policies:

“Biden told the Blade he decided to publicly express his support for same-sex marriage in the midst of his reelection campaign with then-President Barack Obama in 2012 because of his experience attending an event hosted by a gay couple with their children present.

” ‘If you saw these two kids with their fathers, you’d walk away saying, “wait a minute, they’re good parents,” he said. From that moment forward, Biden was unwilling to continue to demur, even if that meant preempting Obama’s ‘evolution’ toward embracing marriage equality.”

President Joe Biden and Pope Francis exchange a warm handshake at the Vatican. Former First Lady Jill Biden is at center.

Lest anyone claim that Biden’s pro-LGBTQ+ stance was a political move and not in line with Catholic teaching, they should just remember that the example described above is a perfect example of what Pope Francis’ teaching that Catholics should embrace a culture of encounter and dialogue, where we learn about the lived reality of people with whom we ordinarily do not cross paths.

The Washington Blade also detailed some of his specifically pro-trans steps:

“Biden set to work building an administration that ‘looked like America’ including with the appointment of trans physician and four-star officer Dr. Rachel Levine to serve as assistant health secretary, and on day one he issued an executive order repealing his predecessor’s policy that excluded trans Americans from military service.

“Biden’s support remained vocal and sustained. In each of his four State of the Union addresses to joint sessions of Congress, for example, the president reinforced his commitment to ‘have the trans community’s back.’ “

While admittedly Biden’s LGBTQ+ record may not be flawless, it certainly has been stronger than any previous president. On many issues, he directly opposed the policy positions of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, a risky step given that a number of bishops were calling for him to be denied communion. (For more details on Biden’s record on LGBTQ+ issues since the end of 2011, click here.). And Biden was not afraid to acknowledge that his support of LGBTQ+ people came from Catholic principles had acquired.

As stated, JD Vance’s positions on LGBTQ+ issues are diametrically opposite from Biden’s, reflecting a line of Catholic thought, which views any positive approach to questions of LGBTQ+ equality with grave suspicion.  GLAAD, the LGBTQ+ media awareness organization, provided a comprehensive summary of Vance’s previous positions and statements, all made before he became a veep candidate.

Today, I pray in thanksgiving that Joe Biden showed the nation and the world a wonderful example of how Catholicism supports LGBTQ+ equality.

—Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry, January 21, 2025