Hey guys, it's me Chase
Today, I am not at home. I am visting a friend for a couple of days, but I can't wait a couple of days to make this video
So I'm sorry that I don't have my beautiful background, my beautiful light and everything, but
I can't not talk about this: YouTube is literally restricting the LGBT community
And today I'm talking about how it is specifically for me because I'm trans
Censoring the trans community
This is ridiculous and I can't believe this is happening.
So, two weeks ago I made a video about how YouTube is censoring the trans community.
How funny that now it's happening on a larger scale.
What is happening?
So, my videos have become age restricted in the last two months.
Almost all of my review videos.
I review products that are made for transgender men.
Yes. Some of them are used for sex. Sure.
Age restrict those. I get it. But, the prosthetics that are made for transgender men to alleviate dysphoria?
Really? Come on YouTube, Really?
Like, I have appealed every...
Anyways, I made a video about this. I don't want to go into that.
That is in the description below.
Now, having my videos age restricted means that people under 18 can no longer watch them
And they're no longer monetized, which means I don't make any money.
Now, that's a complete separate issue of what I'm talking about today.
So, I'm like hit double time over here because restricted mode is made for people who are under 18
People who... like, in public spaces like libraries and universities and schools and stuff like that.
Where the content that is on there is supposed to be ''family friendly''
And, not show anything scandalous
Well, a lot of YouTubers and a lot of followers of YouTubers have actually noticed that a lot
A lot of LGBT content, LGBT+ content etc. has been restricted
And it's like
I'll give you an example
My videos over here. I didn't even know this was happening.
Thank you to the person on Twitter who tagged me and let me understand what this means
So, basically if you go on YouTube right now and you go under restricted mode
You type in ''Chase Ross'', ok?
You're gonna see none of my videos.
My channel doesn't even pop up. The first video is of me doing my talk at Westminster College
But it's not uploaded by me. It's uploaded by Westminster College.
Then, there is a couple of podcasts ''You're So Brave'', and then Aaron's channel pops up
Aaron! Aaron's channel pops up under my name and then it's videos of Aaron where I was included in it.
Isn't that just a little bit ridiculous, though?
Like, my channel, my channel is being restricted
Now, if you go on restricted mode still ''YouTube. com/uppercasechase1'' of course my channel is still there
And I'm still there
Please, go to the videos because it's getting a little bit ridiculous
So for the month of December I made 25 videos for VLOGMAS every day
And that was great
If you a looksie right on down to my videos of VLOGMAS
You will see, the ones that are available are like: 1, 5, 6, 17, 24, 25
All the other ones have been restricted
What?
And let me give you some more examples because those are whatever examples
Sure, I was wearing no shirt in one of them and like dancing around in my underwear
Fine, I get it
My top surgery reveal video, my coming out video, my videos where I talk about specific trans topic about
How to alleviate bottom dysphoria. Things that I'm talking about that are specified for trans youth
And for families. All these videos are under restricted
Which means that the people who need it the most don't have access to it
Now, I don't care that people are gonna go all off on this and be like:
''YouTube isn't restricting you. Your content isn't family friendly''
''You swear all the time.''
How about you click on one or two of the videos that isn't under restricted mode and see how many times I swear in them
And by the way, all of my tags are the same in all of my videos
Because I pre, they're like preset tags that I have made
Like, ''FTM'', ''Trans'', ''Transgender'', ''Trans*'', Transsexual'', Female to Male''
''Transition'', ''Testosterone'', ''Montreal'', ''Quebec'', ''Canada''
Like, literally those are all of my tags
There is nothing like sex related, nothing
Yet, it seems as like 60% of my videos are no longer on my channel
And my top surgery, my T updates, my ''Shit trans guys say'' video
That is the video that made me. That video almost has 500 000 views
Sure, that's not a lot compared to all of these other YouTubers who have huge...
But to me, that is the biggest accomplishment that... It's huge for me, ok? It's huge
That video isn't available and... it's a parody video
Like, it is... It hurts me and I will tell you that I wish, I wish that I had my camera on
When I first realized this. Suja was at my house and I was trying to figure out what restricted mode is
And then I go on and I see that my channel isn't there
And I was just like: ''Suja, you need to calm down because I'm about to close my laptop and throw it out the window''
Especially when I saw that my top surgery reveal wasn't there
Now, you're probably being like ''everyone's top surgery reveal isn't there''
If you actually go on ''top surgery reveal'', there's one of them, and that's it
Which is ridiculous
But, my reviews, yes I review sex toys. Yes, I review prosthetics that are penis shaped
They're still not called toys; they're prosthetics
It's like... It's literally like I am showing you a limb, ok?
It just so happens to be that the limb that we are missing is a genital, ok?
You go ''sex toy review'' under restricted mode and guess what you're gonna find?
A whole bunch of videos
A whole bunch of videos of people reviewing things
Whatever, that's not the problem right now
Really what the most... the biggest problem is that the content that is made for trans youth
Right now is being completely restricted
And I can't believe that I have to make another video called ''YouTube is censoring the trans community''
Because here we are and I am getting struck double time because my videos are being age restricted
YouTube is doing nothing nothing about it. I have written the most amazing letter thanks to three people who have helped me
Bless their souls
I have sent this letter and I have appealed every single decision
Nothing is coming of it. They sent me emails ''we have specialists on the team''
Oh really?
And then they send me an email today saying ''Oh we care about you because you're a partner creator''
''We want to know how we did. How did we help you? Were you happy with our service?''
Excuse me? You didn't even... You didn't even scratch the surface
And now this is happening?
YouTube literally had a statement on their Twitter, like YouTube creators' Twitter
That says :''we by no mean are trying to censor LGBTQ content. The restricted mode is made more for family friendly stuff''
''And they're not trying to...''
Videos on asexuality. Asexuality, have been restricted
Videos of wedding vows of a couple that is queer, like I am... I am...
Trying to stay calm. I am trying to stay calm.
And I... It hurts me. It hurts this community and it hurts my community
And yes the bigger issue is the LGBT community. I am part of this community
But I am... I am focusing my attention on trans because that is not really focused on a lot
In these articles that are being printed by like Daily Mail and Pink News and all these other articles
Maybe not Daily Mail, I just made that one up. I don't think that they... Maybe?
I don't know. I just rolled through an article
They're not tapping in on the trans stuff
And like, not that I am saying that that's more important than LGB. I am not saying that at all.
But I'm saying we are an equal part of this acronym and this community and we need to also have our voices heard
Because we are... we are like at the moment in history right now where trans rights are happening
And they're like being brought, especially in North America
And it's like... Especially in America
And for the... we...
Chase, I need to relax. I need to relax.
So what I'd like you to do is be angry, but in a way not like you're gonna throw your laptop out the computer
Out the window (Out the computer?), out the window, which is what I was gonna do
But thank God, I was talked down by myself to not make a video right away and wait three days
And I did. I'm glad I did.
So don't throw your laptop out the window. Instead, share these articles, share this video, share the videos that Stef has made
That Ty has made... because this is... this is our community
This is our channel. Don't ''boycott'' YouTube. This is... this is my life.
This is... You don't understand. I grew up on this platform
This is me. My entire life is on this channel
I can't give it up. This is how I make my money. This is how I live my life.
This is... Everything surrounds YouTube for me, so... to imagine it being gone like that
Is the most terrifying thing that could ever happen. Sure, I will rebuild myself back up from the crave
And I will be stronger than ever, but let's not make that happen. Instead, let's all stick together
Be strong and fight this together. Don't take YouTube's BS apology
It's not even an apology honestly. They're like ''Oh, we're not trying to do this. Family friendly''
Are you saying that trans people aren't family friendly?
Are you saying that top surgery reveals that trans men need to see in order to visualize their future?
Because that's the only way that I got through my life is being able to see people get top surgery and looking happy afterwards
I was like ''Oh my God, that will be me one day. I don't need to die right now''
Don't tell me that that's not necessary for trans youth because it is
We need to tell YouTube that trans people are real and they need to realize that there are trans people who are under 18
And a lot of my viewers... My biggest demographic on YouTube or my second biggest demographic
Is 13 to 17. That is a huge percentage. I think it's like 30% of my viewers are from the age of 13 to 17
Those people don't have access to the videos that I'm making for them
And for their families... And that just kills me because I try really hard not to swear in my videos
But listen, it's 2017. You can't take it away
You watch Glee they literally say the... I'm not gonna say these words, but they say these words
And they're not bleeped out, ok? And that show is old
When you watch shows on TV now and music videos. They're using words that I have used in these videos
Yet my videos are being restricted
So yes, I am gonna play this card and say I am being targeted for being trans
And Ty is being targeted. Yo, I went on Ty's channel the other day and like the videos...
He posts twice a week, ok? And it was like three weeks ago video, two months ago, five months ago
I was like ''Where are all his videos?''
My videos, so many of my videos were gone. None of my reviews are there
Hey did you know the video I made about being censored on YouTube was literally censored on YouTube?
What? What is that? How is that even a thing? How can you dare do that to the transgender community?
It's just... Anyways, those are my thoughts. Those are my two cents on this topic. I am sorry for the quality of this video
Please understand that I would never do this but like... I need to do this. I'm away from my house for a couple of days
And this needs to be out right now and I look like shit. I'm not showered. Oh no, I said an S word
That is gonna be on the restricted mode for sure
My hair's a mess, like you didn't even my hair was gonna be this color this week
Let's stick together. Let's make YouTube understand that trans people... And I hate that we have to do this work
Do you understand how exhausting it is? People are like ''Oh, you need to write a letter. You need to contact all these people''
It is mentally exhausting to have all of my videos being age restricted and taken away from trans youth who need them
And they can't be monetizable, monetized whatever
Which means I don't make money. Which means I'm going to be struggling to pay my rent
Or eat and that's how I make my living
And it's just is very stressful to have to deal with this. And now, on top of having to deal with this
I have to deal with all of these beautiful videos that I have put my heart and soul into it
Are restricted and are apparently not family friendly
And, it kills me honestly. I'm trying not to cry so badly right now
I'm having a really emotional day.
YouTube is just not realizing what's happening and another form of platform is gonna come out and is going to actually take care of their LGBT creators
Because YouTube thinks that they're great and they make this video
''Oh, we stand LGBT creators, we stand behind trans youth'' when all the bathroom bill stuff was happening
You stand behind trans youth?
Then why aren't they allowed to access the videos that are made for them?
Literally Stef made a video, like, targeted to trans youth and it's restricted
She made videos about her consultation for a surgery that she had; that's gone
All of her surgery videos are gone, which I guess I can understand that part just because it's like surgery and blood
And ''gory'' I guess I can understand it, I guess (not really, though)
And a makeup tutorial for trans women. Excuse me?
That's not okay. And if you actually go... Suja and I did this because they were at my house; we were watching TV
When I found this out I was livid
We look up ''blood'' or ''gore'' or ''gay weddings'' or ''sex reviews'' or any... ''car accidents''
''animals dying''. There are videos of animals dying, there are videos of blood, there are videos of people getting surgery
No, literally rhinoplasty literally, I'm not even kidding
Just to see if there was post pictures or videos of blood or anything
And guess what there was? Those things
And guess what there wasn't? No trans bottom... top surgery, Jesus, post-op videos
My T updates aren't on there. My one year on T
In the last couple of days, apparently some videos have been coming back
I don't even know. I'm just like not having it
Honestly, because YouTube doesn't understand like, how lucky it is to have creators like us
And I'm not like tooting my own horn, but like the trans community on YouTube is huge
And we have built this entire community of people who are amazing and strong and becoming stronger
because they see people like Ty, like me, like Kat Blaque rising above
And dealing with all of the stuff that society throws at us
And then other people watching are like ''Oh my God, I can deal with this too. I can relate to this other person''
''Because they're talking to me on a level that I am talking on''
But those videos are restricted so it doesn't care anymore
It doesn't really matter. At all.
Anyways, that is what I have to say
This wasn't supposed to be a rant video, but you know what? It has to be at this point
Because I have devoted my life to this platform and for it to just be like...
''Fuck the trans community'' oh God. Also I'm editing this on my phone, which means I can't bleep that F word out
So, hi restricted mode. Sorry if you're under 18 and can't watch this
Have a great week. I will see you later. I know this is an unscheduled video on Monday
I will have a video on Wednesday, don't worry
I love you guys so much. Thank you for watching. Please, share this video!
And let people know, let them know what is happening specifically to trans community
Because this is affecting us. Come on man! Videos on asexuality are being restricted?
Go to the podcast. Holy moly, go to the podcast. We have made 50 podcasts
Ok, on ''You're So Brave'', my podcast that I do with Aaron
Literally there are only 20 episodes available
20 episodes. 20 episodes available out of 50.
That is 60%... is that 60%? Whatever, sure. 60%. 60% of our videos are not available
It's a podcast where we are talking specifically... Our main audience for the podcast
is trans youth. Anyways, have a great week. I love you so much. Please share this. I'll see you later. Bye