Joe Biden announced on Friday that the United States would celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, coinciding with the celebrations for Resurrection Sunday or Easter Sunday. The decision provoked a quick response from Donald Trump, who condemned his rival's initiative, calling it "appalling and disgusting."
In his proclamation, Biden also took aim at "extremists" who passed laws to protect children from gender reassignment treatments across the country.
"On Transgender Day of Visibility, we honor the extraordinary bravery 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," the Democratic president said in a statement.
"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," he added.
Trump's response
The former president spoke through his spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, who described Biden's initiative as "appalling and insulting." In turn, she stressed that the announcement is another attack by the president on the religion he claims to profess, speaking of a "years-long assault on the Christian faith."
"We call on Joe Biden's failing campaign and the 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.
In turn, Leavitt also criticized the president's decision to ban religious designs on eggs in the Easter art contest, even though the celebration itself is based on the resurrection of Jesus.
Specifically, the brochure for this edition of the annual contest states that the design of an Easter egg "must not include any questionable content, religious symbols, overtly religious themes, or partisan political statements."
