October used to be simple with pink ribbons honoring the fight against a disease that claims more than 55,000 women’s lives each month worldwide. But Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer just can’t leave well enough alone. She’s once again declared [1] October “Transgender Empowerment Month.”
Whitmer’s proclamation praises Michigan’s 32,900 self-identified transgender residents – a number apparently pulled from an old 2016 report [2] – and lauds them as vital contributors to “every corner” of the state.
What sounds like a kumbaya moment of “unity” doubles as a political minefield. Critics say this declaration is less about empowerment and more about pushing policies that let biological men into women’s sports, restrooms, and locker rooms.
Critics of the trans movement also point to a host of other concerns as well including an uptick in violence involving transgender individuals shooting people and objections to drag queen story hours taking place in schools and public libraries – something they definitely don’t think should be egged on by state government.
Like most Whitmer proclamations, the trans proclamation is heavy on feel-good fluff and light on meaning. But the trans advocacy groups aren’t complaining. They’ve already booked events across the state to celebrate their lifestyle and visibility in Michigan communities.
While October has long been synonymous with pink ribbons and breast cancer awareness, Whitmer’s yearly decision to overlap it with “Transgender Empowerment Month” shifts the spotlight from a cause that affects one in eight women to a niche political gesture.
The governor’s tone-deafness runs even deeper when you consider Michigan’s 440,000+ living veterans and the countless deceased veterans – men and women who’ve risked or given their lives for the state and nation – who only get one day of recognition each year.
In Whitmer’s Michigan, 32,900 transgender residents get a full month of “empowerment,” while more than half a million veterans are expected to be content with just 24 hours of gratitude.