Lifestyle

LGBTQ+ Videos Were Blocked From YouTube For This Sad Reason

YouTube

YouTube found itself in pretty hot water after many of its users noticed some of their videos were unavailable whenever the site runs in "restricted mode."

Most of the videos that were unavailable for viewing were not explicit, only depicting LGBTQ+ couples and transgender people in normal settings and scenarios.

Users took to Twitter to express their frustration with their disappearing videos, using the hashtag #YouTubeIsOverParty.

Pop duo, Tegan and Sara, also joined in on the conversation after discovering that many of their videos were missing.

Canadian transgender model, Gigi Gorgeous, addressed the irony.

She pointed out that the site is a huge platform for the LGBTQ+ community.

She said,

YouTube has always been a place where you can find someone just like you. And now given that you can just turn on one button where the entire LGBTQ community can be taken away from you, it's really sad. I'm not making porn. I'm not doing anything that's absurdly wrong. I'm not doing anything that should be blocked.
I'm not making porn. I'm not doing anything that should be blocked.

YouTube addressed the conversation quickly via Twitter.

It later provided a longer explanation for the problem via their blog.

According to the statement, YouTube called the restriction a mistake.

The bottom line is that this feature isn't working the way it should. We're sorry and we're going to fix it.

But there are still questions that need answers.

Why were LGBTQ+ people living normal lives on YouTube considered a "sensitive issue" in the first place?

And why is hate speech against them still accessible on the site?

The LGBTQ+ community faces too much discrimination already to accept this restrictive mode as an accidental oversight. The blocking is bigger than a simple algorithm problem, since the site follows manmade guidelines.

 

Unblocking the videos is the first step, but there clearly needs to be a better understanding of what is and is not "sensitive" (read: acceptable) material on the site.