Google Employee Expresses Opinion On Diversity, Gets Criticized By Female Executive

With the tech industry becoming increasingly invested in workplace diversity, it’s only natural that any attempt to stop the pace would be met with criticism. This is what one Google programmer faced when he published a manifesto that basically criticized the focus on gender equality instead of ability. As a result, the head of the company’s diversity effort published a document rebuking the programmer for daring to express his own opinion.

The Google employee in question posted the manifesto anonymously and it quickly spread like wildfire within the company. Gizmodo managed to get their hands on the 10-page memo, which argued that instead of focusing on making male and female workers equal in number, the company should instead focus on diversity with regards to ideology.

“My larger point is that we have an intolerance for ideas and evidence that don’t fit a certain ideology,” the manifesto reads.

On that note, it’s worth pointing out that the author of the memo did bring up quite a few controversial points, citing differences in the intelligence quotient (IQ) between particular groups, as well as bringing up the topic of “race” throughout the documents. This certainly did not give his argument much credence among those who view such things as trigger mechanisms.

Following the spread of the manifesto is a downpour of both praise and criticism from both sides of the argument. A response from Google’s Vice President of Diversity, Integrity & Governance, Danielle Brown was recently obtained by Motherboard addressing the issue.

"We are unequivocal in our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success as a company," Brown’s statement reads. "Part of building an open, inclusive environment means fostering a culture in which those with alternative views, including different political views, feel safe sharing their opinions. But that discourse needs to work alongside the principles of equal employment found in our Code of Conduct, policies, and anti-discrimination laws."