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On Monday, thousands of children and their families will gather on the South Lawn of the White House for the annual Egg Roll, a Easter tradition which dates back to the 19th century.
But this year’s celebrations were spoiled by wrongly accused Republican politicians and commentators President Joe Biden’s administration to ban religious themes and symbols from the celebration’s art competition – ignoring the fact that this policy has been in place under every administration for nearly 50 years.
The annual White House Easter egg roll, pictured above in 2023, has been criticized by Republican politicians this year.
(Getty Images)
Much of the negative reactions began after Fox News published an article titled “Religious Themed Drawings Banned in White House Easter Egg Art Contest,” citing a poster at the event stating that religious symbols and themes are prohibited from submission. Mr. Trump sharing the article on his social media platform, Truth Social – however, he did not comment on the article in his post.
However, this rule began in 1978 under former President Jimmy Carter – and has remained in effect ever since, including during Donald Trumpadministration.
The Fox News article and the reaction that followed prompted Elizabeth Alexander, communications director for First Lady Jill Biden, to explain the rule had been in effect for 45 years. Then the American Egg Board — an organization that helps facilitate the event — had to make its own statement clarifying that the rule had been enforced by previous presidents.
“The American Egg Board has supported the White House Easter Egg Roll for more than 45 years and the guideline language referenced in recent reporting has been consistently applied to the board since its inception, across administrations” , declared the organization. said.
Despite this, Representative Elise Stefanik, chairwoman of the House Republican Conference and a longtime ally of Mr. Trump, shared a screenshot of the article on X.
“Shameful”, Ms Stefanik said. “Easter will forever be the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. »
Ms. Stefanik and other GOP members also criticized the Biden Administration Declares March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility.
“On Transgender Day of Visibility, we honor the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans and reaffirm our nation’s commitment to a more perfect Union – where all people are created equal and treated equally. equal throughout their lives,” Mr. Biden said in a statement. week.
The day of celebration has fallen on March 31 since 2009, when Michigan-based transgender activist Rachel Crandall-Crocker created the International Transgender Day of Visibility – as such, Mr. Biden did not choose the date. Meanwhile, Easter Sunday is determined each year based on lunar cycles, making it a coincidence that the two dates overlap this year.
Regardless, the announcement still sparked anti-trans anger from the religious right.
Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son, said Democrats “need to be stopped,” sharing an image of Mr. Biden’s statement.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, called for an apology while calling the president’s statement “appalling.” The independent Previously reported. Meanwhile, Republican Senator JD Vance made a similar request: call it is “shameful” for Christians.
As Transgender Day of Visibility celebrations take place this weekend across the United States, anti-transgender and anti-LGBTQ+ policies are increasing across the country.
More than 479 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures during the current 2024 legislative session, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Meanwhile, last year, the ACLU tracked 510 anti-LGBTQ+ bills during the 2023 legislative session.
Even if some bills fail to pass, it remains clear that anti-LGBTQ+ policies and attitudes are proving deadly. Last month, Transgender teen Nex Benedict dies in Oklahomaa state that has already seen 35 anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed by lawmakers this legislative year.
Benedict’s death, which was ruled a suicide, has already become a rallying cry for LGBTQ rights as trans and queer youth continue to face attacks, The independent Previously reported.
