---
title: "Is YouTube Demonetizing Videos That Mention LGBTQ Words?"
description: "YouTube videos containing LGBTQ keywords are likely to be automatically demonetized by the platform, according to a group of YouTubers."
date: "2019-10-02"
modified: "2019-11-18"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/youtube-demonetizing-videos-lgbtq"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
tags:
  - "lgbtq"
  - "the digest"
  - "YouTube"
---

# Is YouTube Demonetizing Videos That Mention LGBTQ Words?

![YouTubers systematically tested over 15,000 keywords to demonstrate that YouTube is automatically demonetizing LGBTQ content.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/youtube-demonetizing-videos-lgbtq.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Automated Bigotry

Evidence is piling up that YouTube's content moderation algorithms are automatically demonetizing any videos that cover LGBTQ-related topics — even when someone merely utters a related keyword.

The new evidence comes [courtesy of YouTubers](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=822&v=ll8zGaWhofU>) who [systematically checked](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFyHpBsvcK0>) over 15,000 keywords to see which ones YouTube would automatically flag, *[BoingBoing ](<https://boingboing.net/2019/10/02/youtube-demonetizing-videos-wh.html>)*[reports](<https://boingboing.net/2019/10/02/youtube-demonetizing-videos-wh.html>). The [list of their results](<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ozg1Cnm6SdtM4M5rATkANAi07xAzYWaKL7HKxyvoHzk/htmlview?sle=true>), which shows that words like "gay," "lesbians," and "abuser" flag videos for demonetization, is particularly damning for YouTube — which has yet to comment on the new claims.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFyHpBsvcK0

## Ongoing Problem

The demonetization problem facing LGBTQ YouTubers is longstanding — some [sued the company](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/lgbtq-youtubers-suit-discrimination>) over discrimination back in August, shortly after CEO Susan Wojcicki insisted that the algorithm does "not automatically demonetize LGBTQ content."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=822&v=ll8zGaWhofU

The list of keywords shows that mentioning genitals and other topics that would indicate adult content is a near-certain way to get a video demonetized, which makes sense given that companies putting their ads on videos likely want to avoid sensitive topics.

But the fact that videos are also demonetized for [mentioning the word "queer"](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro0-tdBiFWs>) shows that the system isn’t only filtering out [explicit videos](<https://futurism.com/youtube-removing-battlebots-videos-animal-cruelty>). As a result, *BoingBoing* reports that LGBTQ YouTubers who try to talk about issues facing their community are finding themselves cut off from ad revenue.

**READ MORE:** [YouTube demonetizing videos where LGBTQ keywords are said](<https://boingboing.net/2019/10/02/youtube-demonetizing-videos-wh.html>) \[*BoingBoing*\]

**More on ad revenue:** *[While Pedophiles Flock to YouTube, Advertisers Flee It](<https://futurism.com/youtube-pedophiles-advertisers-flee>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)