President Joe Biden’s decision to declare Easter Sunday as the Transgender Day of Visibility has sparked criticism from Republican quarters, despite the two observances coincidentally falling on the same day this year. The Transgender Day of Visibility, initiated in 2009 to celebrate the achievements of transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, is observed annually on March 31, while Easter’s date varies each year.
Several Republicans have capitalized on this coincidence to criticize the President. The campaign of former President Donald Trump expressed outrage, stating, “It is appalling and insulting that Joe Biden’s White House … formally proclaimed Easter Sunday as ‘Trans Day of Visibility.” House Speaker Mike Johnson accused the Biden administration of betraying the central tenet of Easter, warning that “The American people are taking note.”
In response, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates defended the President’s stance, stating, “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 criticized politicians who seek to divide the country with “cruel, hateful, and dishonest rhetoric,” asserting that President Biden would never exploit his faith for political or financial gain.
In his presidential proclamation, Biden praised the “extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans,” affirming their rights and freedoms as integral to the fabric of the nation. He also criticized Republican-led efforts to limit protections for trans Americans, characterizing them as “bullying and discrimination.”
Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia responded to Johnson’s criticism, stating, “Apparently, the speaker finds trans people abhorrent. And I think he ought to think about that.” Warnock, the senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, called out the Republican response as an attempt to divide the nation, contrary to the principles of the Christian faith.
President Biden issued the first-ever presidential proclamation recognizing the Transgender Day of Visibility in 2021 and has continued to do so annually. The national debate over transgender rights has intensified, with Republican lawmakers proposing stringent laws, including restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors and excluding trans women from sports teams that align with their gender identity.
Some Republicans, including Johnson and Trump, also alleged that Biden banned religious-themed designs at the White House’s Easter events. However, the American Egg Board, a long-time partner of the White House on Easter events, clarified that the procedures this year remain unchanged. They emphasized their commitment to non-discrimination in all their activities, regardless of religion, political beliefs, and other categories.
Elizabeth Alexander, a spokesperson for first lady Dr. Jill Biden, dismissed the Republican egg complaints as “misleading swirl” and confirmed that the American Egg Board’s standard non-discrimination language has been consistently used for the past 45 years, across all Democratic and Republican administrations.
This story has been updated with additional information.