Biden criticized for his recognition of “Transgender Day of Visibility,” which falls on Easter this year
President Joe Biden leaves St. Edmund Roman Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach, Del., after attending a Mass, Saturday, July 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
By JOSH BOAK Associated Press
President Biden is facing criticism from former President Trump’s campaign and religious conservatives for proclaiming March 31 — which corresponds with Easter Sunday this year — as “Transgender Day of Visibility.”
The president issued the proclamation on Good Friday, calling on “…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 based on gender identity.”
But in 2024, the March 31 designation overlaps with Easter, one of Christianity’s holiest celebrations.
Trump’s campaign accused Biden, a Roman Catholic, of being insensitive to religion, and others agreed.
“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,” said Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign’s press secretary. She assailed what she called the Biden administration’s “years-long assault on the Christian faith.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said on social media that the “Biden White House has betrayed the central tenet of Easter” and called the decision “outrageous and abhorrent.”
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said the Republicans criticizing Biden “are seeking to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful and dishonest rhetoric.”
“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. “President Biden will never abuse his faith for political purposes or for profit.”
Biden devoutly attends Mass and considers his Catholic upbringing to be a core part of his morality and identity. In 2021, he met with Pope Francis at the Vatican and afterward told reporters that the pontiff said he was a “good Catholic” who should keep receiving Communion.
But Biden’s political stances on gay marriage and support for women having the right to abortion have put him at odds with many conservative Christians.
(Copyright 2024 The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)
