The American video platform YouTube surprised no one by deleting the channel of “Ich weiß, was ich tu” (IWWIT) in early June, without any warning. This was reported by the German AIDS Hilfe on Tuesday. IWWIT is DAH’s prevention campaign for gay men and other queer people. The removal occurred precisely as Pride Month began in June.
“The deletion of our channel at the start of the Pride season is a blow to the queer community. YouTube damages the health of many people,” said Winfried Holz, a member of the DAH board. “Education about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections relies on being able to talk about sexuality openly and with respect in public.”
DAH: Prevention Is Not Pornography
YouTube justified the move in a standard email by citing violations of internal policies on “sex and nudity.” However, according to DAH, there had been no complaints about individual content, nor any warning given in advance. The channel contained no pornographic or otherwise offensive material. “Where sexuality is discussed and bare skin is shown, it was used for prevention—based on scientific foundations,” according to DAH.
?? Einfache Sprache: Pr3P schützt vor H!V aber muss es immer eine Tablette sein? ? Viele Menschen nehmen Pr3P eine…
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Facebook / ICH WEIẞ WAS ICH TU | Auf Facebook kann IWWIT seine Botschaft (noch) verbreiten
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The prevention campaign’s content is produced under the direction of the German AIDS Hilfe by gay men and other queer people themselves. The campaign is funded by the successor to the BZgA, the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG), and is aligned with this entity scientifically.
“Anti-Sexuality” Politics from America
The deletion of the YouTube channel of “Ich weiß, was ich tu” marks a sad peak in “anti-sexuality” politics from the large American social media companies. The censorship does not consider whether the content is meant to stimulate sexual arousal or to educate.
“Under these conditions it is almost impossible to conduct realistic prevention work,” Holz continued. “In our work we address the realities of our target groups, speak clearly about sex, protection strategies, and health, and encourage a confident approach to one’s own sexuality. We keep hitting the limits set by Google, Meta, and others. It cannot be that health education in Germany depends on the moral views of U.S. corporations.”
Hate Is Tolerated, Sexuality Is Not
While content about sexuality would be quickly censored, discriminatory remarks—such as those against queer people—often remain. The AIDS aid group notes that hostility is tolerated and justified under the banner of freedom of expression. This problem has worsened since the start of Donald Trump’s second term.
“In sum, the message being sent is that hate is okay, while sexuality is a no-go,” Holz stated. “In a open, democratic society, it should be the other way around. Here we need clear laws that protect free speech while drawing lines when the welfare of others is at risk.” Meta, the Facebook parent company, has also faced repeated criticism for permitting hate speech under the guise of freedom of expression. After Trump’s victory, Meta’s hate speech rules explicitly allowed the labeling of gay people as mentally ill.
Update 3:15 PM: YouTube channel partially back online
According to DAH, YouTube has restored the affected IWWIT channel online, but many videos on topics such as coming out, living with HIV, and discrimination remain unavailable. Ultimately, YouTube’s arbitrariness continues to curtail the work and visibility of AIDS prevention.
