SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — There were celebrations on Sunday at San Francisco’s Dolores Park.
It was the day marking Transgender Day of Visibility. And by chance, this year also coincided with Easter.
“What a beautiful opportunity to cross-pollinate the worlds between religious experiences and so many queer people that have really traumatizing religious experiences,” said Oakland resident Rianna Berkowitiz.
Transgender Day of Visibility started in 2009 and has been celebrated on March 31 since.
“Without this day, it can make people feel invisible, and you know we don’t want that. You know trans lives matter and they need to be seen and celebrated every day of the year,” said Sister Tonka Belle of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
But there was backlash Sunday after President Joe Biden officially proclaimed the day, as he’s done every year since taking office.
This year, several Republicans took aim at the president, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, going on social media to say the Biden Administration had “betrayed the central tenet of Easter.”
While Donald Trump’s presidential campaign said in a statement:
“It’s appalling and insulting that Joe Biden’s White House formally proclaimed Sunday as ‘Trans Day of Visibility.'”
Tara Campbell: “When you see something like this today, what is your immediate thought?”
Suzanne Ford: “That it unleashes the hate. That it makes it okay to hate a group of people for who they are.”
Ford is the Executive Director of SF Pride and says she’s not going to the let the hate bring the day down.
“I’m not going to let them take this joy from us. We celebrate who we are and not be ashamed. We want you to see we are authentic people who love and live and have valuable lives,” Ford said.
And the White House isn’t backing down either, responding by saying in part: “President Biden stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American.”
And transgender activist Xavier Davenport says the community needs more of this support.
“We need people that are our accomplices, more people that are willing to get into the danger with us as we are fighting in our everyday lives by coming outside and being our natural selves,” Davenport said.
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And he says the most powerful support is people going to the polls.
“Really vote and actually vote for the people who are actually going to make a difference and make the change that we want to see,” Davenport said.
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