YouTube's restricted mode hides LGBTQI content.

YouTube has responded after LGBTQI vloggers discovered some of their content was being restricted on the video-sharing site.

When vloggers switched their setting to YouTube’s restricted mode, they noticed their LGTQI-related content — discussing their experiences, concerns and queer relationships — would disappear.

“With the click of a button YouTube’s restricted mode makes me appear straight,” Melanie Murphy, a vlogger with nearly 500,000 YouTube followers, said on Twitter.

With the click of a button YouTube’s restricted mode makes me appear straight. Even when you dig/type in my name + bisexuality, this happens pic.twitter.com/JKbivanJdS

— Melanie Murphy (@melaniietweets) March 19, 2017

Restricted mode, a setting targeted at children and families, can be used to, “help screen out potentially objectionable content”, according to YouTube’s safety centre.

Queer YouTubers hit out at the site for deeming their queer content inappropriate.

Following the uproar, high-profile queer YouTuber Tyler Oakley, who has more than 8 million subscribers, said he was perplexed after one of his recent videos titled 8 black LGBTQ+ trailblazers who inspired me’ was still blocked.

until we hear back from @youtube, please actively check on all LGBTQ+ creators you’re subscribed to & continue to support their content.

— Tyler Oakley (@tyleroakley) March 19, 2017

YouTube responded to the outcry on Monday, saying in a statement: “LGBTQ+ videos are available in restricted mode, but videos that discuss more sensitive issues may not be.

“The intention of restricted mode is to filter out mature content for the tiny subset of users who want a more limited experience.”

In a statement to the Guardian, YouTube said restricted mode meant some videos that, “cover subjects like health, politics and sexuality may not appear”.

Rowan Ellis, a feminist and queer YouTuber, said the website had been an “invaluable” space for queer and trans youths to be part of a community, but now it was failing to help them.

“If you genuinely want to protect children, this is not the way of going about it. [LGBTQI] kids are scared, kids are alone and kids and dying and this is not how you help them,” she said.

“I think it’s really important to look at why LGBT content has been deemed as inappropriate.

“This is something which goes far beyond a mistake that YouTube might have made that they’re going to draw attention to and fix later.”

A message to our community … pic.twitter.com/oHNiiI7CVs

— YouTube Creators (@YTCreators) March 20, 2017

Happy to see it addressed, but if you actively censor LGBTQ+ issues concerning relationships and not het/cis ones, you’re sending a message. https://t.co/V8w7GJAivq

— Emma Blackery (@emmablackery) March 20, 2017

So upset about the LGBTQ+ @youtube filter. Creators have worked to make this a platform of progression + inclusion. This isn’t who WE are! ????

— Joey Graceffa (@JoeyGraceffa) March 19, 2017

“YouTube Restricted” is for a way for parents to block potentially offensive content. Apparently that includes the existence of gay people?

— Hank Green (@hankgreen) March 19, 2017

(Sidebar: just checked my channel out of curiosity and look at the one thing missing. This really won’t do at all. Not a bit.) @YTCreators pic.twitter.com/TZr6W7Ru8v

— Daniel J. Layton (@DanielJLayton) March 20, 2017

I totally understand the desire to filter inappropriate content. But how has so much affirming, positive content been caught in the net?

— Daniel J. Layton (@DanielJLayton) March 20, 2017

This post originally appeared on ABC News.