Google has found itself in the midst of a controversy after deciding to cancel a drag show that the company planned as the closing event for Pride month.
According to CNBC, the decision came after an internal petition was circulated by a group of employees who opposed it, claiming religious discrimination.
The Google logo is seen with the rainbow flag as a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and queer pride and LGBT social movements in New York City on June 7, 2022. - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is celebrated in the month of June
Petition Accuses Google of Religious Bias
The petition, signed by several hundred employees, argued that the drag performance sexualized and disrespected Christian co-workers, ultimately accusing Google of religious bias.
Every year, Google sponsors a range of Pride events in various locations, including San Francisco, that are open to both employees and the public.
According to the event's now-removed internal description, this year's closing event was intended to be a "Pride and Drag Show" featuring the famous performer, "Peaches Christ," who was supposed to perform at LGBTQ+ bar Beaux in San Francisco Tuesday.
When the employee petition started circulating, the event was discreetly removed from the internal company events page. Google acknowledged the change to CNBC and clarified that the performance was no longer considered a Google-recognized diversity, equity, and inclusion event.
Instead, the company organized a separate social gathering at its offices, encouraging employees to participate. Google spokesperson Chris Pappas told CNBC that closing the drag event was planned by an internal team without following the standard events process.
However, he noted that although the event organizers have relocated the official team event onsite, "the performance will go on at the planned venue," welcoming the public, especially the employees.
Pappas emphasized Google's longstanding support for the LGBTQ+ community and its pride celebrations that have regularly featured drag artists over the years. However, the company did not explicitly address whether the employee petition influenced its decision to alter the closing event.
The petition raised concerns about the event violating one of Google's event guidelines, which prohibits explicit sexual activities. In addition to calling for an apology from the organizers and promoters, the petitioners complained to People Operations, Google's human resources department.
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Internal Discussion
Internal discussions revealed differing viewpoints among employees. According to CNBC's report, some criticized the petition, arguing that the complaints were subjective and fueled ongoing political culture wars.
Religious and conservative politicians have been introducing measures against drag shows, especially in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. Several legislative proposals supported by GOP governors have specifically targeted drag events.
Google leadership faced criticism for allegedly removing the event from the internal website without proper acknowledgment and succumbing to the pressure from petitioners.
A spokesperson for the company clarified that changes to the event had been communicated to a team employee resource group the previous week.
San Francisco's annual Pride events, held in June, regularly showcase a variety of stage acts, including drag shows. Google is one of the corporate sponsors that support these Pride events, which also feature fireside chats with influential individuals and community documentary screenings for both the public and employees.
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