Twitch to Add 350+ New Tags for Gender, Sexual Orientation, Race, Ability, and More
The list of tags includes transgender, Black, disabled, veteran, and Vtuber.
byAdam Bankhurst
Posted May 23, 2021, 10:36 a.m.
Twitch has announced that it is adding more than 350 new tags related to gender, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ability, mental health, and more.
As detailed in a new blog from Twitch, these additions will arrive next week will include such tags as transgender, Black, disabled, veteran, Vtuber, and many more. Furthermore, Twitch will be removing references to "ally" from the LGBTQIA+ tag and will instead create a standalone ally tag.
These new tags will not change how tagging works and are obviously optional, and they are being added in hopes it will help give creators more choice.
Twitch also took the time to thank the trans community for requesting a "transgender" tag, and "for their passion and persistence in pursuit of that request." It also notes it should have been added much sooner.
Speaking of which, many have wondered why these additions have taken so long as tags were launched back in 2018. Twitch explained that tags were created to boost discovery and "help creators describe their content and to help viewers find streams they're interested in."
It was initially designed to help creators describe what they were streaming, not "who they were or what they stood for. We have maintained this distinction since that time, and we were wrong."
The LGBTQIA+ tag was the exception to this initial thinking, and while it began as an experiment, it stayed on based on the overwhelming positive feedback.
To help create this new list and be as inclusive as possible, Twitch partnered with "several independent, third-party organizations such as GLAAD, The Trevor Project, AbleGamers, SpecialEffect, and other experts focused on the progress of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and marginalized communities."
If there is a tag that you feel is missing, Twitch encourages you to let them know via UserVoice. It will take highly upvoted suggestions on a weekly basis and, after an internal evaluation, will add them to the list.
As with many good things, there is the potential for it to be used in a negative and harmful way. By utilizing these tags, certain "bad actors" may use this to find streams for malicious purposes. Twitch notes that streamers should familiarize themselves with the Moderation Tools, utilize mods on their channels, and report anyone who violates Twitch's Community Guidelines. Those found in violation of these guidelines with be subject to enforcement of Twitch's Hateful Conduct and Harassment Policy.
On May 26 at 9:30am PT/12:30am ET/5:30pm BST, Twitch will be going live on Twitch.TV/twitch to speak more about these tags and address as many questions as it can.
For more on Twitch, be sure to check out how Twitch plans to crack down on harassment and its new "Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches" category that is meant to appease advertisers.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
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