President Joe Biden’s decision to proclaim Transgender Day of Visibility on the same day as Easter this year has drawn harsh criticism from Caitlyn Jenner. Olympic gold medallist and transgender star Jenner chastised the president, who frequently discusses his Catholic religion, for not concentrating only on the religious significance of Easter Sunday. “I am absolutely disgusted that Joe Biden has declared the most Holy of Holy days – a self-proclaimed devout Catholic – as Transgender Day of Visibility,” Jenner wrote in a post on X (previously Twitter). On this day, you should only proclaim that “HE is Risen.”
Jenner, who made her transgender identity public in 2015 and has since been a strong supporter of transgender rights, received criticism for her remarks. Critics noted that Transgender Day of Visibility has been marked on March 31 every year since 2009 and that the reason it fell on Easter Sunday this year was because Easter is a movable holiday. Some X users brought Jenner’s earlier tweets commemorating Transgender Day of Visibility to Jenner’s attention, calling attention to what they saw as contradictions in her position.
Jenner’s comments, in spite of the backlash, have sparked a wider conversation on social media about the relationship between religious holidays and days set aside to draw attention to social concerns. In line with the administration’s commitment to LGBTQ+ rights, President Biden made a statement for Transgender Day of Visibility, urging people to embrace the transgender community and fight to eradicate violence and prejudice based on gender identity.