Was Penny Wong trying to aggravate Christians on the most holy day on the Christian calendar?

Few Australian politicians, particularly those from Labor, have copped such a reaction, and most of it resoundingly negative.

What was Penny Wong thinking? What would possess the Foreign Minister to take to X on Easter Sunday to post about something called “the transgender day of visibility”.

Was she trying to aggravate Christians on the most holy day on the Christian calendar? Did she intend to upset women’s rights campaigners?

Or perhaps she exists in such a far left echo chamber that it never occurred to her that the message would be seen as antagonistic and highly divisive while managing to be vacuous, too. A most undesirable trifecta.

Was Penny Wong intending to upset women’s rights campaigners? Picture: Martin Ollman

The backlash was enormous. Few Australian politicians, particularly those from Labor, have copped such a reaction, and most of it resoundingly negative.

After failing to send a single tweet acknowledging Good Friday and Holy Saturday, Senator Wong posted a brief “Happy Easter” message before posting a trans flag and vowing to stand “with trans and gender diverse people”.

Wong also celebrated trans “strength and courage” before committing to advocate “for trans and gender diverse rights in the pursuit of equality”.

The Albanese Labor Government stands with trans and gender diverse people across Australia.

On this #TDOV, we celebrate your strength and your courage - and we recommit to advocating for trans and gender diverse rights in the pursuit of equality. pic.twitter.com/VygxG4mnT7

— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) March 31, 2024

That led to Wong being mocked far and wide – copping an almighty ratio on the social media site – with more than 7000 responses and 600 quote tweets.

Among the most popular retorts was from Sall Grover, who is being taken to federal court by a biological male identifying as a woman who wants access to a women-only space Grover has created. “Yeah. We know exactly who you stand with. Men. May I remind you that other people have rights, and demanding women give up our sex-based rights for men who claim to be women is many things but it sure as s--t isn’t equality,” he wrote.

Perhaps Wong exists in such a far left echo chamber that it never occurred to her that the message would be seen as antagonistic and highly divisive. Picture: Tony Gough

Another popular response was from Polibard who wrote: “It’s Easter, FFS. And please explain how you can commit to trans rights without destroying women’s rights. Nobody has yet.”

Krystle Mitchell wrote: “I can’t believe how offensive and dismissive you are of Christian beliefs and history. You wouldn’t pull something like this on the Muslim community, and you know why.”

The question must be asked why we need a trans day of visibility on March 31. It’s not as though this movement is invisible the other 364 days.

Indeed, there are more than 100 days celebrating the LGBTQIA community including the entire month of June, aka “pride month”.