YouTube’s removal of “gender identity” from hate speech rules has trans rights advocates concerned

With a quiet update, YouTube seems to have adjusted its rules regarding hateful content. The platform’s hate speech policy has been changed to remove words like “gender identity” within the list of protected groups.

According to User Mag, YouTube’s policy previously included explicit language that disallowed hateful attacks related to the victims’ “gender identity and expression.” That line of text has been excised amid several changes to the document. On a list of examples of hate speech, YouTube previously referred to the idea that a protected group’s status is “just a form of mental illness that needs to be cured.” That reference has been removed, leading LGBTQ advocates to wonder whether a common anti-trans attack is now permitted on YouTube.

A YouTube spokesperson told User Mag that the changes to the hate speech policy can be chalked up to “regular copy edits to the website.” The policy itself is the same as it was before, the spokesperson said, with discrimination against “sex, gender, or sexual orientation” still barred.

In an email to Tubefilter, a YouTube spokesperson confirmed that “our hate speech policies haven’t changed.” Nevertheless, the timing of the edit is curious, given the Trump administration’s campaign to minimize trans issues in the public eye. The White House has aligned itself with Big Tech firms to help achieve that mission. Meta rolled back hate speech rules earlier this year in a move that was widely seen as deferential to Trump. Google itself received some pushback

from Trump opponents after adhering to an executive order by renaming the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America” for U.S.-based users.

YouTube’s ability to continue enforcing its hate speech policy will be crucial if the platform hopes to address the rising tide of transphobia it faces. As Fox News booms to more than one billion quarterly views on YouTube, younger Trump acolytes are becoming influential voices in the culture wars while gaining unprecedented access to the White House.

For YouTube, efforts to counter anti-trans rhetoric haven’t always gone to plan. A notable 2018 incident saw YouTube briefly demonetize the word “transgender” while allowing anti-LGBTQ ads to run before videos. YouTube apologized for the incident, and it has supported users in protected groups by removing hateful videos and launching public-facing initiatives, but users are still concerned. In a 2023 survey, only one-third of queer POC respondents reported that they feel safe on YouTube.

With the Trump administration’s war on transgender rights kicking into high gear, the next few months will be crucial. On platforms like YouTube, the bounds of the hate speech policy will be tested, so interested creators may want to keep their eyes peeled for further edits.