Twitter Literally Erased A Lot Of Its ‘Bisexual’ Search Results

Over the weekend, a number of Twitter users noticed that search results related to bisexuality had disappeared from the timeline.

Gizmodo reports that search terms like “bisexual” and “bisexuality” yield no photo, video, or news results. When you search for either of those terms, you’re met with a message that reads: “The term you entered did not bring up any results. You may have mistyped your term or your search setting could be protecting you from some potentially sensitive content.”

Toggling the adult content filter on and off makes no difference, Gizmodo notes, as the results stay empty either way.

Twitter users and LGBTQ advocates, including ACLU attorney Chase Strangio and Whipping Girl author Julia Serano, have been quick to voice their outrage over the disappearance. Many have noted how this is a clear-cut example of bisexual erasure, i.e., the cultural invisibility of bisexuality and the systematic denial of bisexual people’s needs.

This is not the first time innocent LGBTQ content has been wrongfully blocked on Twitter. Yet each time we see band aid fixes that ignore the root of the issue. https://t.co/kH7VBnyBlC

— GLAAD (@glaad) November 6, 2017

hey @jack, @Twitter algorithms are erasing #bisexual people (see thread). you know, the B in #LGBTQ? FIX THIS!!! https://t.co/ykDRKlMmKy

— Julia Serano (@JuliaSerano) November 4, 2017

Others, like this person named Alice, pointed out the hypocrisy of censoring bisexual content when racists, misogynists, and literal nazis are allowed to do their thing.

Others, like this person named Alice, pointed out the hypocrisy of censoring bisexual content when racists, misogynists, and literal nazis are allowed to do their thing.

twitter: doesnt suspend racists, sexists, ban slurs, deactivate spam accounts

also twitter: blocks #bisexual from showing photos/results

— alice (@afterglowsdmn) November 5, 2017

Twitter has since issued a statement via the verified @TwitterSupport handle, stating: “We’ve identified an error with search results for certain terms. We apologize for this. We’re working quickly to resolve & will update soon.”

As of Monday afternoon, that update had not come, and search results for “bisexual” and “bisexuality” have yet to return. INTO has reached out to Twitter for further information. We will update this story when we hear back.