Christian leaders are condemning President Biden’s proclamation of Easter Sunday as “Transgender Day of Visibility,” calling it an “insult” to the religious beliefs of millions that is but the latest example of the White House’s mixed priorities.
Biden’s proclamation criticizes “hateful laws that target and terrify transgender kids” -- presumably laws that ban hormone treatments and limit male sports to biological males.
“These bills attack our most basic American values: the freedom to be yourself, the freedom to make your own health care decisions, and even the right to raise your own child,” it says.
It also urges Americans to “work toward eliminating violence and discrimination based on gender identity.”
On Transgender Day of Visibility, we celebrate the joy, strength, and absolute courage of some of the bravest people I know.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) March 31, 2024
Today, we show millions of transgender and nonbinary Americans that we see them, they belong, and they should be treated with dignity and respect. pic.twitter.com/mhixHV9KC2
“I, Joseph R. Biden Jr., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2024, as Transgender Day of Visibility,” it says.
The Transgender Day of Visibility was launched in 2009 as an annual celebration by the LGBTQ community to be held every March 31. This year, it fell on Easter. The Obama administration, even though it held similar positions to that of the Biden administration, never issued a proclamation recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility. Biden, in 2021, was the first president to do so, and followed that with such proclamations in 2022 and 2023.
Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, was among the Christian leaders who criticized the Biden administration.
This is really hard to believe.
— Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) March 30, 2024
President Biden issued a proclamation recognizing March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility.
This is also the date of Easter where we celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. What is the president thinking?
This is a profound… pic.twitter.com/jwxt61jjls
“This is a profound insult to the sincerely held religious beliefs of millions of Americans on our holiest day,” Laurie said on social media. “America needs God more than ever and yet this is the stance the White House takes. It’s time to turn back to God not turn our backs on God. We need to repent and pray for a spiritual awakening in America. It is our only hope.”
Evangelist Franklin Graham said the proclamation “shows how little respect President Biden and his administration have for God.”
President Biden has declared tomorrow—Easter Sunday—as “Transgender Day of Visibility.” This once again shows how little respect President Biden and his administration have for God. On the most significant day of the Christian calendar, when the Church around the world celebrates…
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) March 31, 2024
“On the most significant day of the Christian calendar, when the Church around the world celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ who died and shed His blood for the sins of mankind, the Biden administration uses this opportunity to flaunt sin, to glorify sin, and to celebrate sin,” Graham said. “The Bible says, ‘…they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them!’ (Isaiah 3:9). Judgment is coming. Instead of celebrating sin, we need to confess our sins, repent of our sins, and ask for God’s forgiveness.”
Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said on his podcast The Briefing that the White House cannot “claim that it wasn't aware that this is Easter Sunday, and that this was going to be a head-on collision.” The proclamation, he added, demonstrates “where the political priorities are” in the White House.
A White House spokesperson countered the criticism by saying that Biden, “as a Christian who celebrates Easter with family… 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,” the spokesperson told ABC News.
Mohler said the proclamation is another example of what he called the transgender movement’s “war on reality.”
“The Transgender Day of Visibility is backfiring,” Mohler said. “It's backfiring because the more you make the reality of the transgender claims visible, the less plausible they are in the larger society.”
Image credit: ©Getty Images/Nito100
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
