'The Fosters' Actor Gavin MacIntosh Blasts YouTube for "Blocking" Access to Same-Sex Kiss Video
In tweets that have now been deleted, MacIntosh said the actions were "100% discrimination and homophobia."
Gavin MacIntosh, the star of ABC Family's The Fosters, took to Twitter on Sunday to criticize YouTube for adding an age restriction warning on a scene that shows him and another actor performing a same-sex kiss. YouTube has since removed the age restriction on the video.
In the now-deleted tweets, but MacIntosh accused YouTube of discrimination and said that adding an age restriction block on the video was a result of homophobia. MacIntosh tweeted: "WHAT?! YouTube blocking #jonnor scene w/ age restrictions? 100% discrimination & homophobia! SO innocent compared to what's on YouTube!"
MacIntosh went further and tweeted that YouTube was supporting hate groups by "blocking" access to the video. The video, posted by a third party and not by MacIntosh or ABC Family, shows a scene from a March 2 episode of The Fosters that shows the actor's character, Connor, kissing Jude (Hayden Byerly). The scene caused some controversy after it aired due to the actors' ages (MacIntosh is 15, Byerly is 14) as well as the ages of their characters (both 13).
At the time of the airing, Peter Paige, one of the creators of the show, tweeted that the kiss may have been the youngest same-sex kiss in television history.
Youngest same-sex kiss in US television history? #Jonnor #FostersSocialHour
— Peter Paige (@ThePeterPaige) March 3, 2015
YouTube's age restriction allowed only those over the age of 18 with registered Google accounts to see the video. A YouTube spokesperson told THR: "When it's brought to our attention that a video or channel was age-gated incorrectly, we act quickly to fix it."
The initital news of YouTube's addition of an age restriction and MacIntosh's reaction to it had sparked a backlash against the video website on Twitter, with many users, using the hashtag #jonnor, echoing the actor's accusation that the move was motivated by homophobia.
@gavinmacintosh #thefosterschat so, I was trying to show my friend the #jonnor scene and it was blocked cause of "age restriction"! Why???
— Ariana Grande's Girl (@OpenHeartTwitte) March 29, 2015
@YouTube sucks I shouldn't have to sign in or be a certain age to see the #Jonnor kiss @gavinmacintosh
— harry styles lover (@compton_dasia) March 29, 2015
@gavinmacintosh Crazy call by YouTube. It's not only a historic TV moment, but should be available for all to see. #Jonnor.
— Bobby Riegel (@BobbyRieg) March 29, 2015
Mar. 30, 8:45 p.m. Updated with statement from YouTube and news of the removal of the age restriction on video.
