I am writing this on March 31, the 15th yearly Transgender Day of Visibility. On this day, people all over the world celebrate the lives of transgender persons, affirming their right to exist, and showing their support, as they do annually on this day. It’s a wonderful occasion.
I’m even writing this on Easter…
Wait, no. No, I am not. I’m sad. It is improbable for two or more significant events to occur on the same day. So, are you #TeamEaster or #TeamTrans? You have to decide. You cannot be both.
I’m kidding. You can be both if you want, of course. Radical liberals are not demanding that you make a choice.
President Joe Biden’s administration released “A Proclamation on Transgender Day of Visibility, 2024,” which he has done since 2021. He praises “the incredible courage and accomplishments of transgender Americans” in it.
The proclamation reads, “Transgender Americans are a part of our Nation.” “They deserve, and are entitled to, the equal rights and freedoms as every other American, including the most important flexibility to be their true selves.”
Biden may not get everything right, but he is correct about this. I, for one, am grateful that there is a government that makes such proclamations rather than, I don’t know, the previous one that actively sought to harm transgender people.
Biden also criticizes attacks on trans rights from liberal quarters. “Extremists are proposing hundreds of hateful laws that target and terrify transgender kids and their families — silencing teachers, banning books, and even threatening parents, doctors, and nurses with prison for helping parents get care for their children,” the proclamation reads. “These assaults attack our most fundamental American principles: the freedom to be yourself, the freedom to make your own health care choices, and even the right to raise your own child.”
No lies detected.
Republicans were furious at this proclamation. How dare Biden declare Easter Sunday to be transgender people’s day?
Donald Trump issued a statement from his team attributed to Karoline Leavitt, his press secretary. He is a criminal who has compared himself to Jesus and is now selling Trump-branded Bibles.
Leavitt said it was “appalling and demeaning” for Trump to claim Easter Sunday as Transgender Day of Visibility. She demanded an apology to the “millions of Christians and believers across America who believe the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only event of Monday.” Biden has “mounted a years-long assault on Christian belief.”
A couple of things. Christians are Catholics, and Biden is a staunch Catholic. Inflicting sexual abuse on Christians is never a sin of Biden. However, trans folks are undoubtedly victims of Christian persecution. And if you don’t see the difference, then… goodbye. Additionally, March 31 has been the International Transgender Day of Visibility for the past 15 years. Easter, not so much.
As for Jesus, he’s Trump’s second favorite character in the Bible after himself. The beginning of Trump’s lord complex and the sale of Trump Bibles were excellently illustrated on Saturday Night Live. And well, I wish Trump wasn’t still important enough to be parodied on SNL.
Truly crazy that everyone takes this grifter seriously. The right-wing Christian embrace of Trump is no wonder, though. Since Ronald Reagan’s time, they have been gradually trying to acquire political power. They like it because they know how to use Trump to their advantage, and they have never seen anyone as selfish or brazen as Trump. If Trump wins in November, we are all but doomed.
But Transgender Day of Visibility is supposed to be encouraging, so I’ll leave you with something good.
Did you know that Transgender Day of Visibility was started in 2009 by Michigan’s own Rachel Crandall Crocker, the executive director of Transgender Michigan?
Instead of honoring trans people who died as a result of anti-trans violence, Crandall Crocker wanted to celebrate Transgender Day of Remembrance, a November holiday.
“I wanted a day that we could celebrate the living,” Crandall Crocker said. And where allies could hold demonstrations throughout the world.
And that’s exactly what she got.
“It really is incredible how far it has come,” Crandall Crocker said on NPR. “I wasn’t expecting to start an international movement.”
Sometimes things can feel very heavy and hopeless, weighing us down with gravity. However, turning away from reality and retreating into a game is not the solution. The best way to fight hate is with love, according to Crandall Crocker, showing us all the way.
D’Anne Witkowski lives with her wife and son as a blogger. She has been writing about LGBTQ+ elections for nearly two decades. Following her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.
