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Google Wants Thought Leaders to Legalize Gay Love

There goes Google, doing no evil again. Over the weekend, "word burbled up":http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/07/07/512554/google-announces-worldwide-campaign-to-legalize-same-sex-marriage/ that the tech giant was launching 'Legalize Love,' a campaign...

There goes Google, doing no evil again. Over the weekend, word burbled up that the tech giant was launching ‘Legalize Love,’ a campaign to fight for marriage equality around the world. That’s not quite the case; the news turned out to be the result of some over-optimistic blogging from 429.com. But Google is indeed beginning an international effort to combat workplace discrimination against gays in each of the countries it has offices in, starting with Singapore and Poland. Here’s the official statement from Google:

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Though our business and employees are located in offices around the world, our policies on non-discrimination are universal throughout Google. We are proud to be recognised as a leader in LGBT inclusion efforts, but there is still a long way to go to achieve full equality. Legalise Love is our call to decriminalise homosexuality and eliminate homophobia around the world. At Google, we encourage people to bring their whole selves to work. In all of our 60 offices around the world, we are committed to cultivating a work environment where Googlers can be themselves and thrive. We also want our employees to have the same inclusive experience outside of the office, as they do at work, and for LGBT communities to be safe and to be accepted wherever they are.

The initiative is spearheaded by Google’s London offices, hence the dearth of Zs.

So, Google isn’t actually calling for marriage equality; instead they’re seeking an end to workplace discrimination and issuing a more generalized push for improved human rights. Singapore, for example, has some pretty reprehensible laws that criminalize consensual sex between two men. Poland has no laws that recognize same-sex unions. And what, pray tell, will Google be doing in an effort to procure those rights?

Mostly, issuing the above press release. And admittedly, that’s fairly significant—obviously, when a company as hugely influential as Google makes a major public push for worker’s rights, it makes news, gives the chattering classes reason to chatter. But a closer look at the actual mechanics of Google’s campaign reveals that it’s a little short on action. Here, in Google’s words, is how the company will be executing its four-step plan to end workplace discrimination abroad:

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  • “Celebrating Pride: Google has a long history of support for Pride Celebrations around the world. In 2011, over one thousand Googlers participated in Pride celebrations in a dozen cities to support equality … And it's not just through Pride that we show our support for the LGBT community. At Mardi Gras in Sydney, we hosted two Queer Thinking seminars on Activism in the Internet Age and Queer Careers, and in Singapore, we're sponsoring the Pink Dot celebration for the second consecutive year. And we've got plenty more to come in 2012 including World Pride in London, where we'll be marching with Googlers from over a dozen countries, and joined by one million visitors.
  • Support for Partner Organisations: We support the work of organisations working to make a positive difference for LGBT communities …
  • Giving Voice to Googlers: The Gayglers is Google's employee network for LGBT employees, friends, and allies. Gayglers chapters exist just about everywhere Google operates around the world – from San Francisco to New York, London to Zurich, Israel and India. As part of 2012 World Pride in London, 40 Gayglers leaders from Asia, Latin America, Europe and North America will attend our first Gayglers Summit for LGBT employees and straight allies, to discuss the challenges and opportunities that face international LGBT rights in 2012."

And, finally:

  • “Convening Thought Leaders: We continually look for ways to educate the broader community about LGBT rights and inclusion, through seminars, trainings and conferences hosted at Google.”

It’s great that Google encourages its employees to participate in Pride marches and that it hosts a network for LGBT employees. But most of this manifesto is just a reiteration of Google’s pre-existing policies; it seems like most if not all of its actual activism will come in the form of hosting seminars and “convening thought leaders.” And TED talks don’t change policy.

Which is not to say that Google should necessarily be more proactive in its advocacy for gay rights—it’s just worth remembering that Google is a corporation, and there’s a reason that it’s broadcasting its anti-discrimination views: it makes Google look good. It makes you feel good about using Google. The celebrated, ever-so-slightly “edgy” news adds to Google’s glossy veneer of progressivism that helps you feel as though you’re on the cutting edge of not just technology but social advancement every time you drop a query into its algorithm. “wine bar 34th st”. Google is good!

The move is also not entirely without balls—the campaign could ruffle feathers in socially conservative regions, and does attract real ire from certain Christian contingents. But the manner in which the announcement was rolled out was totally ideal for Google—initial reports that the company was becoming a global crusader for marriage equality that soon wound down into a vague platform to combat workplace discrimination—makes a lasting impression on the young, tech-savvy, and more-likely-to-be-pro-gay-rights demographic that follows this stuff, leaves Google wiggle room with advertisers and politicians, and requires minimal resources from the company.

Again, I’m totally glad that Google is on board with fighting discrimination, and I hope the push helps move the needle in nations where LGBTs are persecuted. But let’s keep a critical eye on our wildly profitable do-gooding tech companies; there is a method to their magic, after all.