Biden faces criticism over pronouncement of Transgender Day of Visibility on Easter

President Joe Biden has attracted a lot of criticism by declaring Easter Sunday, the most solemn Christian holiday, the Transgender Day of Visibility.

Easter will be celebrated on March 31 this year. Meantime, the International Transgender Day of Visibility is also marked on March 31 ever since March 31, 2009. The day has been initiated to raise awareness about the discrimination transgender people face and to honour them.

The Christian festival of Easter falls between March 22 and April 25 every year. The Christian community celebrates Easter on the first Sunday after the full moon on or following the spring equinox.

The White House issued a statement on Friday, proclaiming March 31, 2024, as Transgender Day of Visibility. President Biden, who is Catholic, has already announced the annual event. He has made the event at the White House a hallmark of his administration. The statement was just a formality.

“I, Joseph R. Biden Jr., president of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2024, as Transgender Day of Visibility,” the pronouncement said.

“I call upon all Americans to join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation and to work toward eliminating violence and discrimination against all transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary people.

"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."

Several prominent figures, including politicians, and commenters, slammed the White House pronouncement on social media platforms.

"America has been hijacked by lunatics," says Abe Hamadeh, a Donald Trump-endorsed Republican candidate for Congress in Arizona.

Sara Gonzales, who hosts a show on conservative outlet Blaze Media, said on X: "Joe Biden proclaims Easter Sunday as 'Transgender Day of Visibility.' As I have said, this is no longer left versus right. This is good versus evil. It has never been more clear."

Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist in the Trump administration, wrote on conservative social media site Gettr, in response to Biden's announcement: "5 November 2024 Begins the Process of the Restoration of Decency @ 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue."

"Joe Biden has proclaimed Easter Sunday as ‘Transgender Day of Visibility,’" Mooney said on X. "What a coincidence on the timing, right? This is a direct assault on Christianity. Yet another attack on religion and traditions by this administration."

"This is a direct assault on Christianity. It’s evident the left is determined to undermine our religion and traditions," she wrote on X. "This isn’t just blatant disregard, it’s intentional."