One wouldn't think that a video of two people simply kissing would be flagged as "inappropriate."
But, apparently, when the two people in question are of the same gender and doing it for over an hour, it crosses into territory that isn't suitable for all ages... according to some YouTube users.
Idan Bitton, the artist behind an 84-minute video entitled "First Kiss," filmed two fully-clothed men kissing for an extended period of time. When asked about what inspired the film he told The Huffington Post in an email:
"'First Kiss' offers a view into an intimate moment between two men. The kiss does not interact with the viewers nor seeks their approval. It just is, alive and present for 84:24 minutes. For me, the video is a reflection of the gay rights struggle momentum. At this point, everyone is welcome to take a look if they choose to, yet our kiss is here to stay with no apologies.
While there is no nudity and seemingly no other questionable content, the video was flagged by YouTube users after being on the site for just three weeks and was then listed as "age restricted" by the company. Bitton blames the restriction on "fear, ignorance, or homophobia but more than all it is just a wider view of people's opinion and view point, even at this advanced stage of the struggle."
After contacting YouTube about the video, a source at the company informed The Huffington Post that the age restriction on the video has now been lifted. The source also stated that while the company has moderators working 24 hours a day to deal with videos flagged by viewers, regretfully, "human errors" do happen. However, the source added, YouTube is always open to considering appeals on videos that have been deemed inappropriate by the site's users.
For more information on Idan Bitton, visit his official website here.
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