President Joe Biden is facing backlash from Republicans for issuing a proclamation recognizing March 31st as the Transgender Day of Visibility, which coincided with Easter Sunday this year.
Though the Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual event held on March 31st since 2009 to celebrate transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, several prominent Republicans seized on the timing to accuse Biden of disrespecting the Christian holiday.
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign called it “appalling and insulting” that the White House formally proclaimed Easter as the “Trans Day of Visibility.” On X, formerly known as Twitter, House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed the Biden administration had “betrayed the central tenet of Easter” with the transgender proclamation.
However, the White House pushed back, with spokesperson Andrew Bates stating Biden “stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American” as a Christian celebrating Easter.
“Sadly, it’s unsurprising politicians are seeking to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful, and dishonest rhetoric,” Bates said, accusing Republicans of abusing faith for political purposes.
In his statement, Joe Biden honored the “extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans” who he said “deserve, and are entitled to, the same rights and freedoms as every other American.”
The president touted policies advancing transgender rights like lifting the military ban, while condemning Republican-led efforts to curb protections as “bullying and discrimination.”
Biden has issued a Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation each year since 2021, part of a fierce national debate over transgender rights and identity that has become a major cultural flashpoint.
Republican lawmakers, on the other hand, have pushed to restrict gender-affirming care for minors, ban transgender women from female sports, and introduce other measures criticized as anti-LGBTQ. Trump has pledged to “ban men from participating in women’s sports” if elected.
