Tech giant Google has reportedly distanced itself from a “pride month” drag performance it had planned to sponsor in San Francisco after several hundred employees signed a petition expressing opposition to the event, arguing it discriminates against the Christian faith.
According to a report Tuesday at CNBC, a drag queen known as “Peaches Christ” was scheduled to perform at Beaux, an LGBTQ bar in San Francisco, at a “pride” event sponsored by Google.
Welcome to Fright Night! for real. We are doing @MidnightMassPod LIVE Fright Night w/ me, @MichaelVarrati, @LucindaPuss & Fang Bang family, @Terrell826 @overlooktheatre and MORE! dress up for the 80's Vampire Costume Contest w/ actual prizes! TICKETS:https://t.co/2HX8CeljXR pic.twitter.com/17lz72k3Fb
— Peaches Christ (@PeachesChrist) February 28, 2023
Discussions within Google that CNBC viewed revealed that company employees were circulating a petition that opposed the event. At the same time, employees discovered Google had eliminated the drag show from its internal events page.
The petition stated that the drag show sexualizes and disrespects Christian co-workers, CNBC reported, and accused Google of engaging in religious discrimination.
“Their provocative and inflammatory artistry is considered a direct affront to the religion beliefs and sensitivities of Christians,” the petition reportedly stated and continued that the planned performance violates a Google event guideline that prohibits sexually explicit content.
Additionally, the petition reportedly demanded an apology from the event’s organizers.
CNBC noted that Google confirmed the company was no longer considering the drag performance a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) event.
“The company set up a separate social gathering at Google offices that it is now encouraging employees to attend instead,” CNBC reported.
Google spokesperson Chris Pappas told CNBC the company team that had planned the drag show event did so “without going through our standard events process,” and added that the drag show would still be held at the planned venue but will be open to the public, while the official Google event would be held onsite.
“We’ve long been very proud to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community,” Pappas said. “Our Pride celebrations have regularly featured drag artists for many years, including several this year.”
The spokesperson, however, did not make any reference to the employees’ petition claiming religious discrimination, according to the report, which also noted that some Google employees were also critical of company leaders for the seemingly clandestine elimination of the drag event from the internal website and for caving to pressure from the petition’s signers.
According to BBC Travel, the drag queen who calls himself “Peaches Christ” is Maryland native Joshua Grannell, a cult icon who hosted Midnight Mass, “a rowdy and raucous film series that regularly sold out the Bridge Theatre” in San Francisco, as well as the Midnight Mass podcast.
“I don’t think I could have built such an insanely wild and weird artistic career and [made] a living being Peaches Christ anywhere else,” Grannell said. “San Francisco has always supported me.”
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Susan Berry, PhD is national education editor at The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Drag Performer” by Peaches Christ.
