I wanted to actually call out something that not everyone may know in this community that happened to me and my channel this past week. But felt it was important for those who love TF/TG content like I obviously do….
Some people flagged and called out the "Master & Servant" video recently citing they were deeply offended by the TF/TG content. This isn't the first time I've been verbally attacked, threatened or had heated debates with individuals over the material I make. Many of whom get so aggressive that I normally have to ban them from my channel. And due to the popularity of this specific video - it's reached a lot more people than is the norm - and has drawn a lot of attention outside the TF/TG world.
YouTube decided to pull my video and slap me with a RED FLAG stating if I had one more of these violations - that they would shut down my channel.
Now I think anyone's first reaction would be "anger". I spent a day fuming over this decision. A decision that honestly came down to me supposedly offending some people and YouTube deciding that was enough to pull the video. That was a first for me after my 8 years on YouTube. Normally you get slapped with copyright warnings and told specifically what part of the content is an issue. This was different.
I felt like it was an attack on TG. And I soon began to wonder if this was just the start of a trend that could spread from my own channel and to others with TG content. I went from being "angry" to "concerned" over the one word we all don't want to hear on the internet - CENSORSHIP.
My next step - the YouTube Appeals Process.
I ended up writing to YouTube - explaining the video - the TF/TG nature of what I do and benefits - how I am often threatened by some on my channel - the artistic merits of the videos - and how actually this video in particular didn't break any of their guidelines. That the decision to pull my video and penalize me had an air of prejudice to it.
I was preparing myself for the worst - thinking many of my other videos would start to get pulled - and then gone would be my channel after 8+ years. No more Podcasts. No more Mako Collection Vids, Paradox Alice or The Mako & Wren Adam Show Episodes. My faith in YouTube had been pretty low due to my countless attempts to communicate with their services over other questions or issues I've had - and rarely getting any kind of response.
But this morning I got an email back from YouTube that ends up making this story have a happy ending. YouTube reinstated the video. Apologized and agreed with my appeal that the video did not violate their guidelines and should not have been taken down or my channel penalized for it.
I just wanted to share this story with everyone… cause I felt it was something that many of us can possibly relate to in the world of fearing "discrimination" and/or "censorship". The majority of the world does not understand TG. They fear it. Laugh at it. Threaten it. Or even hurt others because of it. I've been doing this kind of stuff for decades now. And it's been an uphill battle for me to get the mainstream to stop being as close minded and prejudice. Some of you maybe don't know what goes on behind the scenes of people who create TG content. The challenges they face beyond just trying to come up with a good story and produce a piece of work. There's often way more complicated layers than just what most people see on the surface - which is just the work itself. We are real people - with real lives - dealing with personal struggles - and fighting real prejudice - that sometimes threatens our freedom to try and express ourselves and share that with others.
I'm happy to say - today feels like a victory.
Cheers
Mako