Remove "sensitive social issues" bullet point.
Twitch should remove the "sensitive social issues" clause from Article VII of its Content Classification Guidelines. LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, and reproductive rights are NOT "sensitive social issues", they are common sense issues, where one side simply wants their liberties intact. The controversy is entirely on the other side of the argument the involves taking those liberties away.
Especially as it pertains to LGBTQ+ individuals, the notion that the discussion of their very existence is political is absolute nonsense. These people should be allowed to discuss the issues affecting them without being set behind some kind of "explicit content" label. This is a slippery slope that begins with people automatically labeling non-heteronormative lives and content as "deviant" or "degenerate", especially by grossly bad actors who want to be edgy.
Remove the final bullet point from Article VII.
ADameNamedAmy
shared this idea
Thank you for raising this. We’ve just posted a Tweet addressing these concerns.
You don’t need to label your stream with the new Politics & Sensitive Social Issues CCL if you are sharing your lived experience. Intermittent mentions of politics, politicians, or sensitive social issues also do not require the Politics and Sensitive Social Issues label. We apologize for not communicating this well initially.
If you are an LGBTQ+ streamer, for example, you do not need this label when talking about your lived experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. We’ve added clarifying language to the Content Classification Guidelines to better express this.
-
DarvTheBirb
commented
So you're choosing to cater towards bigots who want to exterminate us?
-
Spoocy_
commented
This is stupid! We are not controversal, we exist! Don't pretend and censur us for being ourselves!
-
TTripweed
commented
Us existing isn't political.
Us having rights is us having human rights.
We are not political, we just are. Those that wish to remove us are using politics to do so, but this doesn't mean that us existing, or using medication, is a political subject. -
xeno_ttvyt
commented
People’s existence and rights shouldn’t be political or up for debate.
-
deathstreamedtoday
commented
Trans rights are HUMAN RIGHTS. (Cuz I'm human, apparently. Sorry, just found out yesterday.)
Obligatory >:3 -
aredridel
commented
Yeah, this is an incredibly bad idea. It's easily weaponized to isolate queer streamers and people whose very existence is politicized, while at the same time giving it false equivalence to hate speech. It also moves Twitch away from allowing realtime news without bias, so if that's actually the goal, to reduce the use of Twitch for news-like content, say so and ban that instead of this politicization rule.
-
retromouse
commented
I am a transgender person. As much as I wish otherwise, this fact heavily impacts my day-to-day. And unfortunately, there are also plenty of people who consider my very existence to be a "sensitive social issue" and who would no doubt use this rule as a bludgeon against sex and gender minorities simply existing openly on Twitch.
-
adriashley
commented
can't even talk about going to the bathroom anymore smh
-
Tenajeh
commented
My existence is not a social issue. And if cis hetero streamers can talk about their family life or whatever, LGBTQIA+ people should be able too. Without being labeled "socially sensitive".
-
TheHistoricalEagle
commented
Is it controversial for a person to exist in a different way than what's considered the norm.
This is pure discrimination towards human rights! -
draconiafyre
commented
My existence is NOT POLITICAL. Do you really think any of us in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community would actively choose to make our lives more difficult?
-
olivia_ssb
commented
Don't politicize our existence!
-
The_Lady_Macbeth
commented
I wake up trans, I go to sleep trans. Stop trying to pretend our just existing is political. We just want to live our freaking lives.
-
SplitLungsBloodThunder
commented
My existence isn't political.
-
wait___what_
commented
you've got a serious problem with pandering to radical conservative viewpoints if you keep on with this. it WILL be abused by people who actively want to cause harm, and it's only a way to surpress and censor. consider a scenario where some fascist goes into a stream that's not labeled and decides to spout nazi rhetoric. the streamer and chat respond accordingly and then it's the streamer who gets in trouble for "sensitive social issues" and has to go through some absurd appeal process. get rid of it and think next time, please.
-
jessiemaycare
commented
Wouldn't this just help facilitate the harassment of marginalized groups and discourage others from defending them? Why is Twitch giving in to bad actors?
-
walkincloset4321
commented
If human basic human rights are considered controversial society is doomed.
-
askScarletRose
commented
While I don't run my channel, I actively participate in several Twitch streams and pay to support them via subscriptions. If these rule changes go into effect it'll be a negative impact on LGBTQ, Women, and POC being unable to talk about their own lived experiences without having a label placed on them. It would be especially damning for trans persons. It would open up the potential situation of openly trans people who aren't even talking about their experiences being trans, may have to label themselves while showing off their favorite games or talking about current media. In contrast, a CIS gender normative would never have to when sharing the same kind of content. All that ends up happening is that you create a barrier for some users that prevents them from having full access and rights for their identities. That is the definition of discrimination.
-
carolineellis915
commented
It's absolutely disgusting that Twitch is implementing segregation of LGBTQIA+ people and enforcing the false narrative that their existence is a sensitive topic that is up for discussion and debate. It's not.
-
Gizo94
commented
what the heck Twitch!? my existence is NOT A SENSITIVE SOCIAL ISSUE!