Before (or ever after) you vote on this, please just read the rule yourself. This is rather misleading to what it actually says. While i agree that LBGTQ+ rights aren’t a social issue, i think what the rule itself states is a good idea. These topics can be very stressful to viewers and having that little warning on the stream can give viewers a heads up to what they’re getting into. This also strictly applies to streams exclusively about these “issues”, not if the stream has anything LGBTQ+ in it. Like i said, just read the article yourself and make your decision based off that alone.

Already more than half of this violates first amendment rights in the US alone. I can imagine how it also violates other laws in other countries as they dont see any of these topics as 'political'. No ones existence is a 'political topic', and its a disgustin shame for twitch to even attempt such a suggestion especially after other changes Houve brought that has caused more harm than good to your users.

This is a slippery slope that begins in censorship but could end in harassment and even violence. I see no reason this is being changed other than a tonedeaf corporate attempt to maintain a “clean” brand image by avoiding any potentially controversial topics. That is an attempt that will always face backlash, because people want to and have the right to discuss serious topics and topics that affect them personally.

Twitch is a diverse platform with millions of users, both viewers and streamers, many of whom are in the LGBTQ+ community or are friendly allies to the community.

While I would love to be proven wrong, I find it highly suspicious that this policy is being changed right before the U.S. general presidential election, which has been proceeded by years of vitriol, discriminatory policies, and yes, even violence, even LETHAL violence, against the LGBTQ+ community, simply because LGBTQ+ people exist. This hatred is nothing new, and societal acceptance has grown substantially over the years, but specifically political extremism has only ramped up in the past 10 years. And depending on the election’s outcome, could grow even worse soon. This extreme hatred has followed around the globe as well, and shows no signs of stopping. Unless we speak up. Unless we do something.

Recently, another social media platform, Tumblr, historically a home and safe haven for LGBTQ+ people, has enacted censorship and harassment toward the community, and toward trans women in particular. This is directly due to its CEO’s actions and corporate leadership’s allowance of censorship and targeted harassment.

Given this recent malicious act by another popular social media platform,

Tell me that Twitch is not doing the same thing.

Tell us.

Tell LGBTQ+ people and their allies that you do not wish to silence and discriminate against people for simply existing.

If Twitch truly wishes to create a platform that is welcoming and feels safe to people from all walks of life, it will reverse this recent policy change, so no one need to feel fear of discussing who they are, who their friends and family are, and their own life experiences that are inextricably linked to their existence.
I have so far focused on LGBTQ+ people and LGBTQ+ topics, but this also applies to “sensitive” or “political” topics, like discussing reproductive rights including abortion, or immigrant rights, or talking about being an immigrant or migrant.

Tell us.

Prove me wrong.

Prove us wrong.

Because nobody’s mere existence is political.

I urge you to change this policy before it harms people.
Because if left unchanged, it WILL harm people.

Tell us you do not mean to harm people.

Your effort to avoid “political” or “sensitive” topics is the slipperiest slope imaginable. And you will find that if you stay on this path, it could harm or even kill people. And that sounds a little like a PR disaster, no?

Tell. Us.

Tell us you do not mean to harm us.

Change the policy ASAP.

Thank you.

Does this exist because of the stereotype that all gay people are very *****? If so, that’s ridiculous and offensive if anything.

Please, please do not give credence to people who only seek division and self righteous dominance. LGBTQIA+ people are just people. Our lives and experiences are not politics and should not be treated as a sensitive issue. It needs to be discussed openly or we are failing as human beings. Sometimes the uncomfortable stuff needs to be talked about and normalized so people get a better grasp on others’ lives. Your compassion would go a long way in removing the rule requiring it be flagged.

Once again, shareholders with religious conservative views are trying to demonise us by first making it seem that we're political. Because politics is bad and therefore we should stop talking about it.

Be better Twitch this is disgusting

LGBTQIA+ folks are not a "sensitive social issue" or a political issue. We are people, period. This is a step backwards in inclusivity and it should not stand.

LGBTQ+ People are people. We should have a right to talk about our lives and experiences without needing to be labeled. We aren't a Social or Politcal Issue, we are people

I had to log in to twitch for the first time in years just to remind you that i'm human, not "sensitive social issue". Next time I probably come here to just delete my account if this doesn't stop.

Under this rule, would straight people have to avoid talking about their partners or relationships or interest in other people? Would even cisgender people have to avoid the words 'man' or 'woman', 'girl' or 'boy' because that's discussion of gender? Somehow I doubt it. People not being straight or not being cis doesn't make them inherently political. Our existence isn't a political statement and we deserve to exist in peace. The idea to consider this a sensitive thing that needs flagging is disgusting and would set things back by decades. Be better, twitch.

This is putting queer people and lgbtq topics next to supoorting literal genocide

my existence is not a political issue, and keeping this rule would be a disgustingly discriminatory choice on the part of Twitch and Amazon

Cela présente de vrais risques, car cela rend plus facile pour les harceleurs de cibler certaines catégories de personnes (ce qui arrive déjà avec les tags). L’existence des minorités ne devrait pas être sujette à débat, ni être étiquetée de cette façon.

Je crois sincèrement que ce règlement de Twitch pourrait faire beaucoup de mal aux communautés et aux minorités. Pour beaucoup, Twitch est un endroit où l’on peut trouver du soutien, partager des expériences, et créer des liens dans un espace qui se veut inclusif. Mais si les règles deviennent trop restrictives, cela risque de réduire au silence des voix importantes, d’accentuer l’isolement et de rendre cet espace en ligne encore plus difficile à vivre. En plus, les politiques de modération ne comprennent pas toujours bien les contenus liés aux cultures minoritaires, et cela pourrait pénaliser des créateurs bien intentionnés pour des raisons injustes (surtout que le sujet peut être abordé de manière indirecte, dans d’autres catégories, lors de jeux, de "react", etc.).

Limiter la diversité des voix et imposer des censures floues, c’est risquer de renforcer les discriminations et d’encourager, malgré tout, les comportements haineux. Ce n’est pas ça, protéger. Twitch devrait être un espace où chacun se sent en sécurité, libre d’être soi-même et de s’exprimer. Pour toutes ces raisons, il est essentiel de revoir ce règlement pour qu’il protège vraiment toutes les communautés, surtout celles qui sont déjà souvent visées.

L’existence d’une personne ou d’une communauté n’est pas un sujet de débat.

Trans and queer people shouldn't have to worry about wearing a warning sign or getting a slap on the wrist just to talk about themselves...

my identity is NOT A SOCIAL ISSUE

queer lives are not political

So embarassing. Hopefully they reconsider. If they do not, I know I will no longer use Twitch!

I don't understand why twitch staff even let something as clearly discriminatory as this off the draft table in the year of our lord 2024. I figured we'd be over don't ask don't tell policy-making by now but clearly some people still haven't gotten the memo. This is deeply embarassing for twitch as a company and for amazon as their patron. But then, what do we expect, with the workplace abuses amazon condones in their distribution centres.

It should be obvious from this comment that I am currently seeking out other platforms as a result of this policy. See you all on curiositystream.

Basic existence is not political. Queer streamers and their chats are sometimes the only community closeted members of the queer community have, you wouldn't limit a straight person finding community and sharing their experience like this.

The only social issue is right wing grifters like Asmongold