LGBTQ+ is not the same as Adult content!
I just spent an hour Google searching firewall softwares that might be blocking my site, Amplify Respect, as I find myself unable to load my own website at yet another public library.
Frustrated, I posted my woes on LinkedIn and found I wasn't the only one.
Rey Katz
In the comments, Theresa shared: 'Yes, it's frustrating and its also why a lot of women of color, like my self who self identify as Latina, and also LGBTQ+ folks have a difficult time getting ahead. My podcast was blocked on Facebook back in 2019 because of the word Latinas, and it didn't have any pictures, just my logo and it said podcast. They thought I was marketing a dating site/app. As I say, "we didn't build the systems or the internet."'
Masika shared: 'One of my Pride marketing enails were blocked because it was flagged as "profanity."'
So frustrating.
Here's what I see, on public wifi, when a site is blocked or filtered.
This isn't really a security warning; it is the firewall protecting the public wifi which is blocking the site.
The reason my website, which covers community building topics with empathy and respect, gets blocked is due to my LGBTQ+ content.
If I just had a site with women's content, or men's content, it would be fine, right? But because I talk about trans and non-binary people such as myself as well as marketing and business, (with no adult content), my site gets flagged.
Good news: after I submitted change requests to two firewall companies, I can now access my site at the public library! Yay! I'm so relieved.
Is your website incorrectly categorized as Adult content? Here's exactly how to check and fix your website listings on the two most popular firewall software protecting public wifi: