Following conservative outrage about President Joe Biden's recent announcement in which he proclaimed Sunday, March 31, which happens to be the day Easter falls on this year, Transgender Day of Visibility, Fox News host Howard Kurtz defended him on Sunday.
The International Transgender Day of Visibility was created on March 31, 2009, and has continued to be celebrated every March 31 for more than a decade. The day is meant to not only honor transgender people, but raise awareness of the discrimination they continue to face.
On Friday, the White House sent out an announcement proclaiming March 31, 2024, as Transgender Day of Visibility. This announcement is just a formality as the date of this annual event has already been set and is a way for the Biden administration to celebrate the holiday. Easter usually falls between March 22 and April 25 every year and is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon on or following the spring equinox.
In the announcement, Biden wrote, "Today, we send a message to all transgender Americans: You are loved. You are heard. You are understood. You belong. You are America, and my entire Administration and I have your back."
On Sunday, Kurtz, who is the host of the network's Media Buzz, addressed the conservative voices amid Biden's announcement and said, "I'm going to give myself the last word on something else. That is that Joe Biden, the Catholic church-going president, has been accused by the Trump campaign and some on the right...of desecrating Easter by proclaiming today the Transgender Day of Visibility."
The Fox News host added: "What too much of the coverage has left out is the holiday's always been March 31st. Every once in a while, it falls on Easter. Now I'm sure there's some people who believe that there shouldn't be a Transgender Day of Visibility and maybe they could have skipped the proclamation, politically speaking, but Biden didn't pick the date."
Kurtz's comments reiterate many LGBTQ+ advocacy groups' stance on the recent criticism.
In a statement emailed to Newsweek on Sunday, Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), a nonprofit LGBTQ+ advocacy organization focused on cultural change, said, "The date of Easter moves each year, while Trans Day of Visibility is always recognized on March 31, but this year right-wing politicians and talking heads are using the coincidental timing to overshadow the hope and joy that Easter represents with politicized lies about transgender Americans and the White House."
She continued: "President Biden and our government do not control when Easter occurs or the annual date of TDOV which was selected fifteen years ago. People who believe both in religion and in treating others with basic respect can celebrate the transformational Resurrection of Jesus and also support visibility for trans people. For the many LGBTQ Christians and allies who celebrate Easter and also recognize TDOV each year, the harmful right-wing lies are an excuse to hijack the Easter holiday with politics and to distract from issues that really matter."
This comes after Biden faced fierce backlash on social media from conservatives.
Former President Donald Trump's national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, called it "appalling and insulting" that Biden "formally proclaimed Easter Sunday as 'Trans Day of Visibility'" in a statement on Saturday. Leavitt said the president's announcement is an example of his administration's "years-long assault on the Christian faith."
"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," she added.
However, in response to the criticism, White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates previously told Newsweek via email on Saturday afternoon: "As a Christian who celebrates Easter with family, President Biden stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American. Sadly, it's unsurprising politicians are seeking to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful, and dishonest rhetoric. President Biden will never abuse his faith for political purposes or for profit."
Biden, who is a Catholic, has championed LGBTQ+ rights while in office, which he wrote about in his Transgender Visibility Day announcement. However, he admitted "there is much more to do" and called on Congress to pass the Equality Act, which would "codify civil rights protections for all LGBTQI+ Americans."
The president's announcement comes as at least 510 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in state legislatures across the country in 2023, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
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Natalie Venegas is a Weekend Reporter at Newsweek based in New York. Her focus is reporting on education, social justice ... Read more
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