Jill Biden has royally pissed off conservatives (again)

First Lady Jill Biden has once again inflamed anti-LGBTQ+ right wingnuts.

This week, Dr. Biden, along with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, hosted the 17th annual International Women of Courage Awards.

The State Department has handed out awards to over 180 women from more than 80 countries since 2007. This year was the first time the ceremony was held at the White House, on “the biggest stage we could,” the First Lady said.

Biden and Blinken honored 11 global women leader to mark International Women’s Day and recognize those with “exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equity and equality, often at great personal risk and sacrifice.”

Among the honorees was Alba Rueda, a trans activist from Argentina, who Dr. Biden warmly greeted on stage and posed for photos with.

“In Argentina, Alba Rueda is transgender woman who was kicked out of classrooms, barred for sitting for exams, refused job opportunities, subjected to violence, and rejected by her family,” the announcer said. “But in the face of these challenges, she worked to end violence and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community in Argentina.” 

The fact that Biden and Blinken honored a trans woman when we’re seeing a record number of anti-trans bills being pushed through state legislatures is notable. Over 400 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in 38 states this year alone.

Naturally, right wingnuts are losing it. They’ve been tweeting all sorts of transphobic garbage at Dr. Biden for shaking hands with Rueda.

46-year-old Rueda became the first openly trans politician in Argentina to hold a senior governmental position when she was named the Undersecretary of Diversity Policies within the Ministry of Women, Genders and Diversity in January 2020.

In addition to receiving one of this year’s International Women of Courage Awards, in 2021 she was included as one of the BBC’s 100 Women, honoring the most influential women in the world, and in 2022, she was included in Time magazine’s Time 100 Next list.

It’s not surprising right wingnuts are mad at Biden for honoring Rueda. They love finding any reason to hate on the First Lady. Last month, they were mad at her for putting up a Valentine’s Day display on the White House lawn. Before that, they were furious that she went on Sesame Street is promote kindness. And then there was the time they were completely up in arms when she said she wanted to end HIV stigma.