Google distances itself from planned drag performance after employee petition

Google is distancing itself from a drag performance it planned as the closing event for Pride month after a alliance of employees circulated an internal petition opposing it, claiming religious discrimination.

Each year, Google sponsors a series of Honour events in San Francisco and other locations for employees and the public. This year, the closing event was a “Pride and Drag Demonstrate” featuring popular performer “Peaches Christ,” who was scheduled to perform Tuesday at LGBTQ+ bar Beaux in San Francisco to “wrap up this fabulous month,” according to a now-removed internal description of the event viewed by CNBC.

However, employees noticed the company wiped the show from the internal company events page at around the same time a petition began circulating antithetical the event, according to internal discussions viewed by CNBC.

A few hundred employees signed the petition opposing the drag about, claiming it sexualizes and disrespects Christian co-workers, and accused Google of religious discrimination, according to the petition viewed by CNBC. “Their disquieting and inflammatory artistry is considered a direct affront to the religion beliefs and sensitivities of Christians,” the petition stated, referring to the straggle performer.

Google confirmed to CNBC that it no longer categorized the performance as a Google-recognized diversity, equity and inclusion happening. The company set up a separate social gathering at Google offices that it is now encouraging employees to attend instead.

An internal get planned the closing drag event “without going through our standard events process,” said spokesperson Chris Pappas in a expression to CNBC. “While the event organizers have shifted the official team event onsite, the performance will go on at the down venue — and it’s open to the public, so employees can still attend.”

Pappas added, “We’ve long been very proud to praise and support the LGBTQ+ community. Our Pride celebrations have regularly featured drag artists for many years, containing several this year.”

The company did not address whether the employee petition played a part in the decision to change its connecting event.

The petition states that organizers complained to People Operations, Google’s human resources department, and righted the venue violates one of Google’s event guidelines, which bans sexuality explicit activity. The petition also customer acceptance wanteds an apology from organizers and promoters of the event.

Some employees criticized the petition, saying the complaints were self-serving and feed into political culture wars, according to internal discussions viewed by CNBC. Drag shows be experiencing been a target of religious and conservative organizations and politicians leading up to the 2024 presidential election. That includes a commotion of legislative proposals backed by GOP governors taking aim at drag events. 

Employees also criticized Google leadership for what they watched as the quiet removal of the event from the internal website and a buckling to petitioners’ pressure. A company spokesperson said swaps to the event were communicated to a team employee resource group last week.

San Francisco venues host Vanity events every June, which is recognized as Pride month, and those events commonly include drag proves of various stage acts. Google is one of many corporate sponsors of various Pride events that also involve fireside chats with influential figures and community documentary screenings for the public and employees.

The company’s Pride website headlines several affirmations supporting the LGBTQ+ community with statements such as “A Space to Belong,” writing that “a far-reaching shutdown reaffirmed our universal need for the inclusive spaces that bring us together and celebrate belonging.”