Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, who asked that President Trump “have mercy” on LGBTQ children and immigrants during a prayer service he attended in January, says she hopes Pride Month celebrations this year help LGBTQ people heal from months of amped-up speech and policies targeting their identities.

“I pray that it is a really joyful, inspiring gathering where people feel safe, where they feel seen, where they feel supported, where they can laugh and learn,” Budde said about Pride in an interview with USA Today published Monday. “Maybe it is a good antidote to some of the meaner rhetoric that has been unnecessarily hurtful. And just be a balm for people. We all need that.”

Budde, the Episcopal leader for the Washington area, made national headlines when she used a prayer service following Trump’s inauguration to make a direct plea to........

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