On the International Transgender Day of Visibility, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson opted to celebrate “incredible women and all they’ve done to shape our history.”

“As Women’s History Month comes to a close, I want to take a moment to celebrate YOU,” Benson posted to X on Monday, along with a campaign video of herself talking.

“To the women leading, innovating, fighting for justice, and breaking down barriers – your impact is felt every single day. Women have always been at the forefront of progress, and we will continue to shape the future,” she said.

It was more of the same in the video.

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“This month I’ve had the privilege of connecting with women all across our state who are making a difference, leading in government, in business, in sports, in healthcare and in advocacy,” Benson said. “Their dedication reminds us the fight for equality never ends and requires all of us to roll up our sleeves and do work because our voices matter now more than ever.”

The Democratic frontrunner for governor made no mention of transgender women, effectively ignoring those constituents on the one day dedicated to raising awareness about alleged discrimination and lack of recognition for folks who view themselves as the opposite gender.

The snub highlights a distinctly different approach to the transgender community than other top women in Michigan politics, with term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer heaping praise on the “authenticity and resilience” of transgender Michiganders.

“This Trans Day of Visibility, I want the community to know that I am, and always will be, fiercely committed to building a Michigan where every person has the freedom and safety to be who they are,” Whitmer posted to X with a video celebrating “civil rights protections” expanded by Democrats in Michigan to include gender identity.

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Michigan Democrats’ diverging approach to transgender issues follows President Donald Trump’s declaration in January recognizing only two sexes in America: male and female. It’s a message that helped propel him to a second term following years of transgender activism and concerns from parents in K-12 schools across the country.

A New York Times poll conducted by Ipsos shortly after Trump’s declaration found 79% of Americans agree with his assessment and oppose biological males participating in women’s sports. The poll marked a 12 percentage point increase in opposition from a similar poll two years prior, The Center Square reported.

That reality wasn’t lost on eight Democrats who sided with all Republicans in the Michigan House earlier this month to adopt a resolution calling on the Michigan High School Athletic Association to comply with a Trump executive order banning biological males in women’s sports.

“It’s unacceptable to compromise the hard-earned achievements of girl athletes, and as a legislator, along with my colleagues here today, I firmly believe that we are on the right side of history advocating for our girls’ sports,” said Rep. Alicia St. Germaine, R-Harrison Twp. “This is the moment to stand up for what we believe in, and fight for all of our daughters and our granddaughters.”

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While Benson’s campaign for governor strikes a similar tone to celebrate “incredible women” who are “breaking down barriers,” her advocacy for LGBTQ+ issues and history of injecting race and transgender issues into school and sports is public record.

As chair of Whitmer’s Task Force on Women in Sports, Benson zeroed in on elevating transgender athletes as a means of moving LGBTQ+ Michiganders into “positions of leadership and power.”

“When we’re talking about role models, how we’re talking about you can’t be what you can’t see, we need to recognize that’s not just about getting more women in positions of leadership,” Benson told OutSports in 2020. “It’s getting more women who represent multiple identities, multiple communities, multiple races, LGBT, trans women and trans individuals, into positions of leadership and power to truly demonstrate that who you are adds value, and inclusion increases the effectiveness of the team as a whole.”

Benson also reversed a rule at the Secretary of State that required an individual’s sex designation on a driver’s license or identification card to match their birth certificate, passport or other government document.

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The change, which was later expanded to allow transgender residents to designate their sex as “X,” was ironically unveiled by Benson during Transgender Awareness Week in 2019, according to WJBK.

“It shows how much it means to one community who’s been persecuted and feels unsafe in many ways, to have this gesture of goodwill,” Benson said at the time. “It’s also a policy shift that recognizes we’re a state that includes everyone, that hears everyone, that listens to everyone, and this is a community that has not been heard and has not been listened to in many years.”