Google Calendar Removes LGBT Events

A Change Noticed by Users

Google Calendar users have observed that this year, the platform no longer automatically displays events related to LGBT Pride, Indigenous Peoples, as well as commemorations of African American, Jewish, Latino, and Holocaust heritage. According to The Verge, this decision has sparked strong reactions, with some calling it a “shame” and seeing it as a form of “capitulation to fascism.”

Google’s Justification

Google has confirmed this change, explaining that its default event calendar has been adjusted. The company stated that for over a decade, it has been working with timeanddate.com to display national holidays and observances in Google Calendar. However, in recent years, its team had manually added various cultural events in multiple countries.

“We received feedback pointing out the absence of numerous events and countries, making it difficult to manually manage hundreds of dates in the long term. That’s why, in mid-2024, we reverted to exclusively displaying national holidays and observances provided by timeanddate.com, while allowing users to add other important events themselves,” explained Madison Cushman Weld, a Google spokesperson.

A Troubling Political Context

This change comes at a time when other digital platforms are also adjusting their policies, particularly since Donald Trump’s return to power. Even Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of Meta, known for his tolerance, recently lamented the rise of “culturally neutral companies seeking to distance themselves from masculine energy.”

Although Google claims this decision stems from practical constraints, the removal of these sensitive events raises questions about the evolving editorial choices of major tech corporations.