GTA TikTok threat ignites debate over gaming culture and LGBTQ+ tensions

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1. https://www.themirror.com/tech/gaming/maga-gta-player-threatens-violence-1149043 - Please view link - unable to able to access data
2. https://www.themirror.com/tech/gaming/maga-gta-player-threatens-violence-1149043 - An anxious player of the Grand Theft Auto video game series seemingly threatened violence against members of the LGBTQ+ community after posting a video on TikTok. The video, which was posted on Thursday, shows a man donning a black hoodie, sunglasses, and a red "Make America Great Again" hat. In the video, which is set to George Thorogood & The Destroyers' iconic 1982 rock hit Bad to the Bone, the man — going by the username mrconservativealex — smiles and nods his head to the tune. The user writes, "I just found out that GTA6 will have LGBTQ Pride Parades. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Since being posted, the video has gained 1.4 million views. The Mirror U.S. reached out to the user for comment. "I can’t wait for GTA 6," the man captioned the 15-second video. Several users felt disturbed by the video. "Bragging about living out your homicidal fantasy is weird," one person wrote, adding that the man was "definitely on Grindr" — a popular LGBTQ hookup and dating app — whenever his wife was not around. "You’re OBSESSED with us boo," a second person commented. "Y’all people need a mental health checkup," a third person stated. "Grown man plotting hate crimes in GTA is a whole new level of sad," sighed a fourth person. "Sir. You're closet is made of glass. We see you," a fifth person commented. Other people seemed to praise the user for his sickening comment. "I was going to go straight to the club, but now we have to do God's work first," one person commented. "Any npc with blue or purple hair is getting drowned," a second person said. "GTA giving us the privilege of doing what we want to do in real life in game," a third person jeered before adding," Thank you, GTA." The disgusting post comes after Google removed the start of Black History Month, Women's History Month, Pride Month and Indigenous Peoples Month, among several other holidays and events. The removal comes as U.S President Donald Trump has rolled back DEI protections. Several people seemed to praise the user for his sickening comment. In the video the man— going by the username mrconservativealex — smiles and nods his head to the tune.
3. https://apnews.com/article/f4ace0e1968d6bad46bb05710feac5cf - In Ethiopia, the LGBTQ+ community is experiencing a surge in online harassment and physical attacks, which they attribute to inciteful content on TikTok. Posts on the platform, including videos from influential users, have called for violence against homosexual and transgender individuals, with some outing members of the community by sharing their personal information. Despite reports, TikTok had initially failed to take action, although a spokesperson later confirmed removal of the content and banning of accounts violating guidelines. The hostility is exacerbated by societal conservatism and laws penalizing homosexual acts. Recent events, including Uganda's severe anti-LGBT law, have intensified the hostility, prompting some members to flee the country. Public institutions in Ethiopia have been accused of aggravating the situation, further endangering the already vulnerable group.
4. https://time.com/7260689/us-companies-scaling-back-dei-efforts-trump-targets-initiatives/ - Major U.S. companies are scaling back on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in response to President Donald Trump's new Executive Orders targeting such initiatives. On his first day back in office in January 2025, Trump signed orders to end federal DEI programs and prefer merit-based opportunities, placing federal DEI staff on paid leave and ultimately laying them off. Despite a federal judge temporarily blocking these orders, the anti-DEI sentiment is spreading. Companies like Pepsi, Disney, Amazon, Boeing, Walmart, and more have reduced or completely dismantled their DEI initiatives. These actions are resonating across sectors, affecting internal policies, hiring practices, and public-facing programs. This shift marks a significant departure from previous years' focus on fostering diverse and inclusive work environments.
5. https://apnews.com/article/8c499cfbe399b1eccc436032b3c4ced0 - Google has removed default entries for certain cultural events such as Pride, Black History Month, Indigenous Peoples Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Holocaust Remembrance Day from its Calendar app. The change was implemented in mid-2024 due to scalability issues with manually maintaining hundreds of moments globally. Users must now manually add these events if they wish to see them. Google originally introduced these cultural events as supplements to public holidays and national observances listed by timeanddate.com. The move sparked online attention and discussion. Additionally, Google has updated Google Maps to reflect name changes mandated by the Trump administration, renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America for U.S. users and restoring the name Mt. McKinley for Denali. Google is also re-evaluating its diversity hiring targets following a federal executive order.
6. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/11/google-calendar-black-history-pride-month - A Google spokesperson, Madison Cushman Veld, provided the Guardian with a statement that said the listed holidays were not “sustainable” for their model. “Some years ago, the Calendar team started manually adding a broader set of cultural moments in a wide number of countries around the world. We got feedback that some other events and countries were missing – and maintaining hundreds of moments manually and consistently globally wasn’t scalable or sustainable,” the statement said. “So in mid-2024 we returned to showing only public holidays and national observances from timeanddate.com globally, while allowing users to manually add other important moments.” The decision to no longer acknowledge Black, LGBTQ+ and women’s history holidays predates a growing list of changes that Google has made following the start of Donald Trump’s second presidency. US immigration is gaming Google to create a mirage of mass deportationsRead more The tech behemoth recently announced that it would be rolling back its previous commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in its employment policies following the US president’s orders to curb DEI in federal agencies in one of his first moves as president. Google also revealed in late January that users in the US would see the name of the Gulf of Mexico changed to the “Gulf of America” and that the company would start using the name “Mount McKinley” for the mountain in Alaska currently called Denali after executive orders from Trump signed during his first day in office. The company enacted the Gulf name change for US users on Monday. Many users on social media have expressed disappointment and frustration with Google’s recent decision. Following the changes, users who wish to track events such as Pride Month, Black History Month and Indigenous Peoples’ Month must now manually add them to their calendars. Google clarified via email to the Guardian that these calendar changes will not have an impact on future Google Doodles, which usually celebrate these events with digital artwork on the website’s homepage. The company stated: “Google continues to actively celebrate and promote cultural moments as a company in our products,” such as YouTube Music still offering a Black History Month playlist.
7. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/google-calendar-month-black-history-pride-women-indigenous-b2696660.html - Google Calendar has removed references to months celebrating and honoring African Americans, women and LGBTQ+ communities because keeping the events wasn’t “sustainable”. The tech giant previously marked the start of Black History Month in February and Pride Month in June but the events don’t appear for 2025. The company has also removed references to Women’s History Month in March and Indigenous Peoples Month in November among other observances. A Google spokesperson said the changes took place in the middle of last year. “Some years ago, the Calendar team started manually adding a broader set of cultural moments in a wide number of countries around the world,” the spokesperson said. “We got feedback that some other events and countries were missing – and maintaining hundreds of moments manually and consistently globally wasn’t scalable or sustainable,” Mid-last year, Google allegedly “returned to showing only public holidays and national observances from timeanddate.com globally, while allowing users to manually add other important moments,” the spokesperson said. Several Google Calendar users have been left furious with the removal of the events. “Calendar used to capitulate to fascism,” one disgruntled user wrote on the user support page, adding: “This is shameful. Reinstate these calendar dates.” “Grow a pair google. The ‘great’ orange leader doesn't get to own facts or history,” another wrote. Google’s latest move takes place against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s diversity, equity and inclusion crackdown after he signed sweeping executive orders banning DEI initiatives throughout the federal government.