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SALT LAKE CITY — Several Republicans — in Utah and around the country — spent the weekend criticizing the Biden administration, after the president released a proclamation to commemorate Transgender Day of Visibility, an annually observed day that happened to coincide with Easter Sunday this year.
The White House on Friday issued a proclamation to "honor the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans and reaffirm our nation's commitment to forming a more perfect union — where all people are created equal and treated equally throughout their lives." It was one of several such proclamations issued by the president that day, along with presidential actions recognizing the Month of the Military Child, National Child Abuse Prevention Month and National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month.
Biden on Sunday posted a statement containing a "message to all transgender Americans: You are loved. You are heard. You are understood. You belong."
Although it's not the first time Biden has issued a proclamation on transgender visibility — he did so in 2021 — Republicans quickly latched on to the message to attack the Democratic president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, saying the president had "betrayed the central tenet of Easter."
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, on Saturday reposted to his personal account on X, formerly Twitter, a screenshot of Biden's proclamation, adding: "Squatting rights ... on Christianity's most sacred day."
He later shared an image listing several dozen days of the year designated for celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, and said, "The Church of the Holy Alphabet has yet to claim December 25th. Will that be next?"
Several Republican candidates for office from Utah also took to social media to slam Biden for the proclamation, with Senate candidate Brad Wilson promising to "never stop fighting against the left's disgusting attempts to disrespect our values and erode religious liberty." State Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding, a gubernatorial candidate, asked, "How is this real? Was there no other day available on the calendar for this proclamation? Parody of a president."
"It looks like Biden is a couple days early with his April Fools Day joke," Riverton Mayor and Senate candidate Trent Staggs posted Saturday.
The White House pushed back against the criticism, and spokesperson Andrew Bates told the Associated Press the Republicans "are seeking to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful and dishonest rhetoric."
"As a Christian who celebrates Easter with family, President Biden stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American," he said. "President Biden will never abuse his faith for political purposes or for profit."
According to GLAAD, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, Transgender Day of Visibility is celebrated annually on March 31 since its beginning in 2010.
"Easter changes dates each year and Trans Day of Visibility always falls on March 31," the organization said in a statement Sunday. "Anyone who says anything different is sadly overshadowing the hope and joy that Easter represents."
Transgender issues have become a key focus for some on the right, as nearly 500 bills that impact LGBTQ+ rights have been introduced in statehouses across the country in 2024, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Utah lawmakers have passed a series of high-profile bills that advocates say restrict the rights of transgender Utahns in the past three legislative sessions — including a controversial bathroom bill earlier this year.
"This has been a really tough session for the LGBTQ community — in particular our transgender community," Sue Robbins, a member of Equality Utah's Transgender Advisory Council and a transgender woman, said last month. "It feels like we have a lot more message bills that have come through here, and I've tracked more bills that impact my community than I have in any other year and it's been a drastic increase."
