by WorldTribune Staff, June 30, 2023
Google canceled its sponsorship of a San Francisco Pride event after hundreds of employees signed a petition calling it a “direct affront to the religious beliefs and sensitivities of Christians.”
The show was due to be a “Pride and Drag Show” at Beaux gay bar featuring a performer known as Peaches Christ.
But employees noticed Google removed the San Francisco show from its internal events page after a petition was launched opposing the event on religious grounds, according to memos seen by CNBC.
The petitioners demanded an apology from the organizers, saying they had complained to Google’s HR department — People Operations — alleging the venue violated the company’s event guidelines regarding sexually explicit activity.
Peaches Christ accused the petitioners of promoting “anti-queer and anti-gay rhetoric.”
Writing on Facebook, the drag queen said: “This is another example of the really disturbing rise in anti-queer and anti-gay rhetoric that is using drag performers and trans people as scapegoats.
“Anyone who knows me and knows my career knows that I use this drag character and name to present love, to make people laugh, to create entertainment and to create space for outsiders.”
Google spokesperson Chris Pappas told CNBC the internal team responsible for planning the drag performance failed to put it through the company’s “standard events process.”
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