Google’s Calendar app, a go-to for over 500 million users, has quietly ditched cultural holidays like Women’s History Month, Black History Month, and LGBTQ+ observances, users noticed in recent weeks.
Announced March 6, 2025, the move, effective mid-2024, strips Google Calendar DEI of its once-flaunted flair, sparking buzz amid broader company shifts tied to Donald Trump’s presidency.
JUST IN: Google just terminated their DEI hiring targets. They will now hire people based on their abilities. pic.twitter.com/qBcHNOxDuH
— George (@BehizyTweets) February 5, 2025Why the Change?
A Google spokesperson pinned it on practicality: manually tracking hundreds of global cultural moments wasn’t “scalable or sustainable.” “We got feedback about missing events and countries,” they said. So, we’ve reverted to public holidays and national observances from timeanddate.com—users can add the rest themselves.” The shift sidelines DEI staples, leaning toward a leaner, apolitical stance after years of colorful reminders.
Exclusive: Google is eliminating minority hiring goals and will review its DEI programs https://t.co/KA86S4OT5n
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) February 5, 2025DEI Rollback Gains Steam
This isn’t standalone—Google’s parent, Alphabet, axed its underrepresented hiring goals in February and is rethinking DEI initiatives. As a US government contractor, it’s eyeing Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders, said Chief People Officer Fiona Cicconi. “We’re adapting to court rulings and policy changes,” she noted. Even the Gulf of Mexico’s now the “Gulf of America” on US maps, per Trump’s January order—a nod to his sway over tech’s once-progressive bent.
The Google Calendar DEI purge signals a tech titan bowing to scale and politics.
