Google Calendar has removed a range of cultural events, including Pride Month, Black History Month, and Holocaust Remembrance Day, from millions of users’ default calendar settings worldwide, sparking outrage and debate.
Google Cites Scalability Issues in Decision
Google quietly began removing cultural observances from its default holiday list in mid-2024, but the change only recently gained widespread attention. Affected events include:
- Indigenous Peoples’ Month
- Jewish Heritage commemorations
- Holocaust Remembrance Day
- Hispanic Heritage Month
- Pride Month
- Black History Month
The company now only displays public holidays and national observances, using data from its long-term partner timeanddate.com.
In response to backlash, Google spokesperson Madison Cushman Veld Said:
**”For over a decade, we’ve worked with timeanddate.com to show public holidays and national observances in Google Calendar.
“Some years ago, the Calendar team started manually adding a broader set of cultural moments worldwide. However, as the number of these moments grew, it became unsustainable to maintain hundreds of events manually.
“So in mid-2024, we reverted to showing only public holidays and national observances while allowing users to manually add other important moments.”**
Users Express Frustration Over Calendar Shake-Up
The removal of these events has sparked criticism from Google Calendar users, with some accusing the company of erasing diversity and catering to political pressures. Many users have taken to social media and Google support pages to voice their frustration.
Some have called the move “shameful”, while others have accused Google of “capitulating to fascism” in the wake of broader corporate rollbacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Big Tech Faces Scrutiny Over DEI Rollbacks
Google’s decision comes amid widespread cutbacks in DEI programs across major tech companies. In recent months:
- Meta, Intel, and PayPal have scaled back diversity hiring initiatives.
- Amazon removed references to “inclusion and diversity” from its financial reports.
- Walt Disney has quietly phased out its “Reimagine Tomorrow” diversity program.
In the political arena, US Attorney General Pam Bondi recently announced that the Justice Department will investigate and penalize private sector diversity programs. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has vowed to dismantle DEI policies in both government and private institutions.
Users Can Still Manually Add Cultural Events
While Google Calendar users will no longer see these events by default, the company encourages people to manually add their own observances.
To add a custom event to Google Calendar:
- Go to calendar.google.com.
- Click “Create Add” in the top-left corner.
- Enter the event name and select the date and time.
- Click “Save”.
Future of DEI in Big Tech Under Question
While Google defends its decision as a practical adjustment, critics argue that the move symbolizes a broader retreat from corporate diversity efforts.
