Conservatives are losing their minds after President Joe Biden acknowledged “Trans Day of Visibility,” which this year just so happens to fall on the same day as Easter.
Many furious right-wing pundits and politicians even seem to think that Biden himself created the annual tradition, despite the fact that it’s more than a decade old and falls on March 31 every year.
The entire brouhaha began on Friday when Biden issued a statement “proclaiming” that his office recognizes the date—a formality the White House observes for countless other holidays throughout the year.
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“Transgender Americans are part of the fabric of our Nation,” the proclamation said. “Today, we send a message to all transgender Americans: You are loved. You are heard. You are understood. You belong. You are America, and my entire Administration and I have your back.”
Within hours, many prominent conservative voices began voicing their displeasure with the president for his decision to acknowledge the date, given that it happens this year to coincide with Easter.
Chief among them was the campaign of former commander-in-chief Donald Trump, whose press secretary released a statement condemning the announcement—as well as a recent flyer which stated that children submitting eggs to the White House’s Easter egg design contest are barred from using “overtly religious themes.”
“It is appalling and insulting that Joe Biden’s White House prohibited children from submitting religious egg designs for their Easter Art Event, and formally proclaimed Easter Sunday as ‘Trans Day of Visibility,’” Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote.
“Sadly, these are just two more examples of the Biden Administration's years-long assault on the Christian faith. We call on Joe Biden’s failing campaign and White House to issue an apology to the millions of Catholics and Christians across America who believe tomorrow is for one celebration only—the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
The White House fired back at Trump in a pointed statement, bringing up the fact that the egg design contest rules were created more than 40 years ago—and were in effect during all four years of the Trump Administration.
“Fact check,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates wrote on X (formerly Twitter), citing a Fox News story about the Easter egg design contest rules that failed to mention their origin.
“The only ‘news” outlet in U.S. history to pay almost $1 billion for lying to their viewers/readers has egg on their faces again. This story is about nonpartisan guidelines that have been in operation for ***45 years***. Including during the last administration.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) also took to X to suggest that Biden’s announcement was an affront to God.
“There is no length Biden and the Democrats won’t go to to mock your faith, and to thumb his nose at God,” she wrote. “We know that Christ is King and God will not be mocked, just like we know Joe Biden isn’t really the one calling the shots in the White House.”
Last year, Greene tried to spread misinformation about a bogus “trans day of vengeance” on X, and was temporarily restricted by the social media site.
Much of the outrage seemed to center on the bogus idea that Biden himself picked the day in question as a way to intentionally slight American Christians.
Conspiracy theorist and failed former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy even made that accusation outright in a statement of his own Saturday: “Joe Biden just proclaimed that ‘Transgender Visibility Day’ is on Sunday, March 31st. I wonder how he came up with that date,” he wrote.
Even House Speaker Mike Johnson got in on the action.
“The Biden White House has betrayed the central tenet of Easter—which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” he wrote on X. “Banning sacred truth and tradition—while at the same time proclaiming Easter Sunday as ‘Transgender Day’—is outrageous and abhorrent. The American people are taking note.”
Right-wing activist Charlie Kirk also posted about the announcement, whining that Republicans should even the scales with their own transphobic holiday if Trump is re-elected to the White House this fall.
The White House had some strong words for Republicans angry about the routine proclamation—especially for those questioning Biden’s Catholic faith.
“As a Christian who celebrates Easter with family, President Biden stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American,” Bates said in response to the attacks Saturday. “Sadly, it’s unsurprising politicians are seeking to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful, and dishonest rhetoric.
“President Biden will never abuse his faith for political purposes or for profit.”
The president, of course, is simply observing day championed by activist Rachel Crandall-Crocker, who created the annual holiday in 2010 as a response to violence against transgender people.
Transgender Visibility Day has fallen on March 31 every year since.
