Cultural Holidays Omitted from Google Calendar After Executive Action
Google has recently updated its Calendar application, resulting in the removal of several cultural observances, including Black History Month, Pride Month, and Women’s History Month. This change has led to significant user concern and criticism.
The company explained that the decision was part of a “standardization” process aimed at displaying only public holidays and national observances. A Google spokesperson stated that manually maintaining a comprehensive list of global cultural events was unsustainable. Users are now encouraged to add significant cultural moments manually or through third-party calendars.
This update coincides with broader trends among major U.S. companies, including tech firms, scaling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These adjustments align with recent executive orders from President Donald Trump that ban DEI programs at the federal level.
In addition to the Calendar changes, Google has made other modifications in line with federal directives. Notably, the company renamed the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America” on its Maps platform, reflecting recent executive orders aimed at “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.”