White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said backlash to Transgender Day of Visibility was due to "misinformation."
Critics lambasted President Joe Biden's proclamation of March 31's Transgender Day of Visibility as "abhorrent," noting proclamation fell on Easter Sunday and was an insult to the Christian faith. Others noted the Transgender Day of Visibility, which began its annual celebration in 2009, has always been held on Mar. 31, while the date of Easter Sunday changes year to year.
During a Monday press conference, one reporter asked Jean-Pierre if Biden believed critics of his proclamation cited his Catholic faith for political purposes.
"So surprised by the misinformation that's been out there around this," Jean-Pierre said. "I want to be very clear. Every year for the past several years on March 31, Transgender Day of Visibility is marked. And as we know, for folks who understand the calendar and how it works, Easter falls on different Sundays every year, and this year it happened to coincide with Transgender Visibility Day.”
"That is the simple fact. That is what has happened. That is where we are," she added.
Jean-Pierre said "misinformation" had been purposefully spread about Transgender Day of Visibility and Easter falling on the same day this year.
"As a Christian who celebrates Easter with family, President Biden stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American,” she said.
The press secretary added it was "unsurprising" that "politicians on the right are seeking to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful, and dishonest rhetoric.”
“It is dishonest what we have heard the past 24 hours. It is untrue what we heard over the weekend,” the press secretary continued, lauding one Fox News host for acknowledging Transgender Day of Visibility has always been celebrated on March 31.
“President Biden will never abuse his faith for political purposes or for profit,” Jean-Pierre continued. “That is not what this administration is about. That is not what being a leader is about, and this misinformation out there [is] bad and it is dividing.”
On Saturday, Biden issued a statement from the White House proclaiming Sunday as 2024's Transgender Day of Visibility, marking the fourth consecutive year for the president.
"I am proud that my Administration has stood for justice from the start, working to ensure that the LGBTQI+ community can live openly, in safety, with dignity and respect," Biden wrote. "I am proud to have appointed transgender leaders to my Administration and to have ended the ban on transgender Americans serving openly in our military. I am proud to have signed historic Executive Orders that strengthen civil rights protections in housing, employment, health care, education, the justice system, and more. I am proud to have signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, ensuring that every American can marry the person they love."
