Did Biden just render a slap in the face of the whole Christian community by declaring March 31, Easter Sunday as ‘Transgender Visibility Day’? Was it politically motivated? It’s not the first time that the Liberal government’s pro-transgender steps have stirred up a storm among the conservatives.
Wokeism is clearly getting out of hand with demands for men’s rights to participate in women’s sports and use women’s restrooms; and pronouns being held as a dagger against anyone who does not conform to their language politics and they naturally become transphobes. Is the Easter Day declaration too a deliberate attempt to scandalize the sensibilities of the believer community? Orlando Magic’s Jonathan Isaac, in his X (formerly Twitter) post, did not spare words to criticize Biden for what he saw as the government’s agenda to spread hate. “They want you to hate!” Isaac protested, adding in his post that “they know exactly what they are doing..” Issac is only one among the many to accuse Biden of trying to “erase Easter Sunday”. Are the conservatives really justified this time in their right to be offended?
Had Biden picked Easter Sunday, a day of immense religious significance to the conservative Christian community, to promote transgender visibility, there would be no question Biden was making a political statement– a targeted attack on the religious sentiments of the Republicans. But a fact that many Biden criticizers are oblivious to or choose to conveniently forget is that this was not a Biden- or Liberal-initiated declaration of a trans-centric day. International Transgender Visibility Day was an event created by transgender activist Rachel Crandall Crocker back in 2009. March 31 has ever since been celebrated as TDOV every year on the same date. This time it happened to coincide with Easter Day, which does not have a fixed date (Easter is based on the lunar calendar, usually on the first full moon following the vernal equinox).
It was in 2021 that Joe Biden proclaimed March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility, calling upon all Americans to join the fight for full equality for all transgender people. In 2022 as well, Biden issued a formal Presidential proclamation recognizing the event. These, however, did not evoke nearly as much reaction from the public as on its 15th anniversary for obvious reasons. So was Biden really to blame for his Proclamation on Transgender Day of Visibility, 2024? Was it meant to instigate hate and divide the public as conservatives claim?
Assuming, in good faith, that conservatives, and others including me, who refuse to play into the delusions of the woke generation, are against the ideological extremism and enforcement of this group and not against the people themselves for living their lives on their own terms, is it necessary to consider it blasphemy for a minority’s day to be celebrated on the same day as a religious day? Does that amount to “erasing Easter”? Are our beliefs so fragile? Is the significance of a day integral to Christianity, a global religion whose history dates back centuries, threatened by a day dedicated to a particular group? Would this same outrage have erupted had the proclamation been pertaining to a different section of the population, say, women or a less-advantaged group? Are we hating the government’s malicious/ bonehead agendas, or the transgender community itself?
As a day that celebrates the resurrection of Christ, the victory of light over darkness, of life over death, does a call for inclusivity denigrate the sanctity of Easter? …we should be angry but shouldn’t lose the spirit of what tomorrow means!” wrote Jonathan Isaac.
The question I wish to pose to Christians in general is whether or not the Lord shed blood and gave up his life for our sins– for the sins of the entire human race. To borrow Isaac’s words again, “Because He is risen there is hope for all.” Let’s pray that America surmounts politics and, in good faith, spreads the word of love and unity.