Google Removes Pride and Black History Month from Calendar While Renaming Gulf of Mexico, America

WCTU CLEVELAND 13 — Google has made significant changes to its services, removing several cultural observances from Google Calendar and renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" for U.S. users. These changes come in the wake of President Donald Trump's recent executive orders, which have reshaped policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and national identity.

The update to Google Calendar, confirmed by a company spokesperson, eliminated events such as Pride Month, Black History Month, Indigenous Peoples Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Jewish Heritage Month, and Holocaust Remembrance Day. Google explained the decision as a matter of practicality. "Maintaining hundreds of moments manually and consistently globally wasn't scalable or sustainable," the spokesperson stated. Users can still manually add these events to their calendars.

The removal has sparked backlash from various communities. Critics argue that erasing these observances from the default calendar settings sends a broader message about the administration’s stance on cultural awareness and inclusion. "I think it's the stupidest waste of time and effort. We have so much to focus on as a country. We are extremely divided as a people, we are in everyone else's business, which can easily lead to wars, deaths, and economic collapse, and this man is spending his time changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico and throwing away Black History Month? Give me a break," said Robert Thorn of Shaker Heights.

At the same time, Google Maps has updated its geographical labels to reflect Trump's January 20 executive order titled "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness." The Gulf of Mexico, a name used since the 17th century, now appears as the "Gulf of America" for users within the United States. Google defended the change, stating it aligns with official government sources. "People using Maps in the U.S. will see 'Gulf of America,' and people in Mexico will see 'Gulf of Mexico.' Everyone else will see both names," a Google spokesperson confirmed.

Trump justified the renaming by claiming the U.S. contributes the most to the Gulf’s economic and environmental maintenance. "The U.S. does the most work on the sea," Trump said last month. "It should bear America's name because it's ours."

Public opinion on these changes remains divided. Some see it as a trivial distraction from more pressing issues, while others view it as a step toward reinforcing American identity. "I don't really care as much as other people do. Call things whatever you want. If Trump wants it to be called the Gulf of America, let him. America first was his promise, and that seems to fit," said a businessman near Public Square in Downtown Cleveland. "I don't really have any views on Black History Month or Pride Month because those things don't apply to me, but I am sure that it upset a lot of people. But that's what Trump does. At the end of the day, he gets things done, so it is what it is."

The renaming effort does not stop with the Gulf. In line with the same executive order, Trump has called for the restoration of Mount McKinley's name, which was changed to Denali in 2015 under President Barack Obama as a recognition of its Alaskan Native heritage. The change had not yet been implemented as of Tuesday, but the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has already begun updating its charts and databases.

These decisions also come amid a broader rollback of DEI initiatives in the corporate sector. Following Trump's executive order to dismantle federal DEI programs, major companies, including Meta, McDonald's, Walmart, Target, and Google, have all scaled back their commitments to diversity policies. The move has heightened concerns among LGBTQ+ and minority advocacy groups, who worry about the long-term impact on representation and inclusion.

The debate over these changes underscores a growing divide in American politics. For some, it is a reaffirmation of national pride and efficiency. For others, it represents an erasure of progress in cultural recognition. Regardless of where public sentiment falls, the changes appear to signal a shift in both governmental and corporate policies under Trump's second term.

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