Thousands of children and their families will come together on Monday for the annual Egg Roll, a cherished Easter tradition that has been celebrated on the White House South Lawn since the nineteenth century.
This year’s celebrations have been overshadowed by false accusations made by Republican politicians and commentators against President Joe Biden’s administration. They claimed that religious themes and symbols were banned from the art contest, without acknowledging that this policy has been in place for nearly 50 years under every administration.
The backlash against the White House Easter egg art contest started when Fox News released an article titled “Religious-themed designs banned from White House Easter egg art contest.” The article highlighted a poster that mentioned the prohibition of religious symbols and themes in submissions. Mr. Trump shared the article on his social media platform, Truth Social, without providing any additional comments.
The rule, however, originated in 1978 during the presidency of Jimmy Carter and has been continuously enforced, even during Donald Trump’s administration.
Elizabeth Alexander, Communications Director for First Lady Jill Biden, responded to the Fox News article and the ensuing reaction by providing an explanation. She clarified that the rule mentioned had actually been in place for a period of 45 years. In order to further clarify the situation, the American Egg Board, which plays a role in organizing the event, also released a statement confirming that the rule had been enforced by past presidents.
The American Egg Board has been a proud sponsor of the White House Easter Egg Roll for more than 45 years. The organization clarified that the guideline language mentioned in recent news reports has always been applicable to the board since its inception, regardless of the administration in power.
Representative Elise Stefanik, Chair of the House Republican Conference and a longstanding ally of Mr. Trump, took to X to share a screenshot of the article.
Ms. Stefanik expressed her disappointment, using the word “disgraceful,” in response to a situation. She emphasized that Easter would always hold significance as the commemoration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.
Ms. Stefanik and other GOP members expressed criticism of the Biden administration’s decision to declare March 31 as Transgender Visibility Day.
The International Transgender Day of Visibility, which falls on March 31, was established in 2009 by transgender activist Rachel Crandall-Crocker from Michigan. It is important to note that President Biden did not select this date. In contrast, Easter Sunday is determined each year based on lunar cycles. Therefore, it is purely coincidental that these two dates overlap in the current year.
The religious right responded with anger and opposition to the announcement, regardless.
Donald Trump Jr., the son of the former president, expressed his strong opposition to Democrats by stating that they “must be stopped.” He further emphasized his message by sharing an image of Mr. Biden’s declaration.
Karoline Leavitt, the spokesperson for Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, expressed her dismay at the president’s declaration, deeming it “appalling,” as reported by The Independent. Republican Senator JD Vance echoed this sentiment, condemning the statement as “disgraceful” to Christians.
Transgender Visibility Day celebrations are happening across the US this weekend, but unfortunately, there is a concerning increase in anti-transgender and anti-LGBTQ+ policies throughout the country.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), state legislatures have introduced over 479 bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community in the ongoing 2024 legislative session. This number is slightly lower compared to the 510 anti-LGBTQ+ bills tracked by the ACLU during the previous year’s legislative session in 2023.
It is clear that anti-LGBTQ+ policies and attitudes are causing harm, even if not all of the bills are successfully passed. Oklahoma, for instance, has already witnessed the tragic death of Nex Benedict, a transgender teenager, amidst the backdrop of 35 anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed by lawmakers this legislative year.
The death of Benedict, which authorities have determined to be a suicide, has already sparked a wave of support for LGBTQ rights. As reported by The Independent, this tragic event has served as a rallying cry for trans and queer youth who are still facing ongoing attacks.
