Google removed an annual drag event from its internal calendar after a petition circulated one of its performers.
The “Pride and Drag Show” featured drag queen “Peaches Christ” Tuesday at the bar Beaux in San Francisco, California, where the show traditionally took place. While the show went on, it no longer seemed to have the support of the tech company, as it was removed from its event page, according to CNBC.
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“The recently unsanctioned Google Pride event occurred last night and it was a joyous and unapologetic display of fabulous drag artists creating art and entertainment for an appreciative audience, just like last year when it was sanctioned,” Peaches Christ wrote on Instagram.
The drag queen also tagged the post as “pink-washing” in an apparent slight to Google. It is a term synonymous with “rainbow-washing,” which refers to a strategy to promote the LGBT community outwardly in some ways to cover more egregious policies against the same community.
A petition reviewed by CNBC went out against the event, citing Peaches Christ’s “provocative and inflammatory artistry is considered a direct affront to the religion beliefs and sensitivities of Christians.” A few hundred employees signed it.
A Google spokesperson claimed the event did not meet a recently implemented approval process.
“We’ve long been very proud to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community. Our Pride celebrations have regularly featured drag artists for many years, including several this year,” the spokesperson told the Washington Examiner. “This particular event was booked by and shared within one team without going through our standard events process. The event organizers shifted the official team event onsite and the performance went on at the planned venue — and it was open to the public, so employees could still attend.”
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Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada was slated to host a drag show on the first day of Pride month until Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley reportedly intervened. The show was canceled.
Several states — including Idaho, Kentucky, North Dakota, Montana, Oklahoma, and Utah — are considering drag-related restrictions. Texas also passed a law banning children from sexual performances in its legislative chambers. A similar law in Tennessee was overturned by its Supreme Court.
