Pride 2021: Google Maps, Search will now show gender-neutral restrooms

Google is celebrating Pride Month 2021 by rolling out a number of updates on its platform. The company has announced that Google Maps and Google Search will now show if a business has gender-neutral restrooms.

This update builds on top of another feature that Google had rolled out back in 2018. The feature enabled owners to mark their businesses listed on Google as “LGBTQ-friendly” or “Transgender Safe Space”. Google said that this information is “critical to helping the community find safe and welcoming places.” This feature is available in the US only.

This update follows the special controls that Google rolled out for Google Photos users last month. Google has said that Google Photos already has controls to hide photos of certain people of time periods. Starting summer this year, Google will make it easier for users to find these controls.

Google also said that it will show a new Pride documentary on Google TV this month. Additionally, users will be able to ask their smart display or Nest speaker, "Hey Google, what are you doing for Pride?" to learn more about LGBTQ+ history and leaders.

Apart from this, Google announced that it will be providing $4 million to support LGBTQ+ communities around the world. The company said that Google.org will provide $2 million to OutRight Action International’s Covid-19 Global LGBTIQ Emergency Fund, which will help 100 organisations across more than 60 countries over the next year. These grants will help provide resources like food, shelter and job training for those in need. The company will also be providing $1 million in Ad Grants to support OutRight’s advocacy for LGBTQ+ human rights globally.

Lastly, Google said that through the course of this month it will be honouring LGBTQ+ voices, authors and creators. The company said that interested people can learn about eight LGBTQ+ artists, view 5,000 photographs of LGBTQ+ history from Leonard Fink and revisit the first 15 years of Pride on Google Arts & Culture.

“There is still a lot of work to do, especially as we continue to fight for the rights of our trans community, but I remain optimistic about our community’s future given how far we’ve come,” Juan Rajlin, Treasurer and Co-Global Executive Sponsor of PRIDE at Google, wrote in a blog post announcing the news.