Tech giants Meta and Google have decided not to renew their partnerships with Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade for the upcoming year. This decision follows significant changes to their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the United States, attributed to the recent political landscape, including the re-election of Donald Trump as President.
Historically, both companies have been involved in Mardi Gras, with Meta participating as a media partner and Google as a supporting partner during the 2024 celebrations, alongside Meta's engagement in the 2023 World Pride. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is widely recognised for its vibrant celebrations and its commitment to advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights. According to the Star Observer, this shift is significant, considering the companies’ previous robust involvement.
Both Meta and Google's recent policy changes have sparked concerns within the LGBTQ+ community. Meta has removed Pride-themed content and altered its hate speech policies, allowing for derogatory terms to be used against transgender individuals and members of the gay community on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Concurrently, Google has retracted certain DEI initiatives, including the removal of LGBTQ+ holidays from its online calendars.
The decision not to renew contracts appears to stem from the companies’ failure to meet the stringent criteria set forth in Mardi Gras' Ethical Charter. This framework ensures that prospective partners align with the values of the parade, particularly in relation to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Notably, the Charter evaluates each organisation in key categories, including human rights and sustainability, authenticity and integrity, and collaboration. The Charter explicitly states a desire to partner with organisations that ‘champion DEI as an integral part of their organisation.’
An excerpt from the Ethical Charter emphasises, “For half a decade Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has called upon our Ethical Charter framework during the final stages of prospective partnership opportunities. This ensures we enter into relationships with organisations who share our values and commitment to our communities.” It seems that with the recent rollbacks in DEI programs, both companies might not meet the necessary evaluation standards.
The gay community is being called on to boycott companies such as Meta by deleting Facebook and Instagram accounts and Google by using search engines such as DuckDuckGo.
Source: Noah Wire Services