Easter was observed on March 31 this year, which meant a lot of people had the opportunity to participate in the ceremonies of egg hunts, special chocolates, and springtime warmth. People gathered to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after he was crucified on the spiritual part of the trip.
At the same time, though, March 31 marked the moment known as Transgender Day of Visibility, an international holiday that’s been celebrated since 2009, dedicated to spreading awareness among people who fall under the transgender umbrella.
Most people wouldn’t care too much if two holidays happened to coincide with one another, yet this was an exception. President Biden announced the commemoration of Transgender Day of Visibility, proclaiming the following on the official state website for the White House,” THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the power vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2024, as Transgender Day of Visibility”.
As a result of this statement, people immediately responded to the president’s remarks, going so far as to criticize him for overshadowing the Easter holiday.
I believe it is evident that those who are reacting to the declaration are overreacting. Despite being in place for 15 years, people are making claims that the President has violated the Easter spirit or that the celebration is disrespectful. It’s really just an excuse to stir up controversy and spread hatred.
If anything, it was the Easter holiday that encroached on March 31. It just so happened that the two holidays shared a date this time. Each year, Easter’s date changes, constantly occurring on the Sunday after the first full moon of spring. Transgender Day of Visibility has always been observed on March 31.
This was an issue that didn’t need to happen. Individuals could have simply celebrated the holidays without attempting to stir up animosity. Instead, they went ahead and fanned the flames over what is meant to be a time to raise awareness for trans people.
Trans people themselves already face a lot of love and discrimination. They encounter it in public, online, with family and friends, in religion, politics, and more. They rarely catch a break, even on a day that was made to acknowledge and show love because there is always someone out there trying to find an excuse and a way to portray them as the enemy and should be treated as such.
It is wrong to do that, wrong to go after them simply because one doesn’t like how they express themselves. You might think people would understand and accept. But no, they never do; they just don’t like to give people credit for who they are. Instead, they do whatever they can to knock them down, beat them until they can’t get up, and move on to their next target. It is frustrating that two different holidays occurred on the same day and that was all that was needed to stir up trouble.
The lesson of the story is that people should enjoy both holidays for what they are rather than get angry over everything. And if people think Easter was bad on March 31st, think about the sparks that will fly when Easter falls on April 20th.
