Censored, Silenced, but Never Stopped: TikTok’s Racist Hypocrisy Against Black Queer Creators
If you’re a Black Queer artist pushing boundaries and expressing your truth, TikTok might not be the platform for you—at least, not if you expect fair treatment. Once again, my content has been wrongfully flagged and removed under the false claim that it contained nudity or violence. And once again, I’m left frustrated, watching as other creators—many of whom don’t look like me or share my experiences—freely post content with similar or even more provocative themes without issue.
The Pattern of Censorship
This is not an isolated incident. This is a systemic, racist pattern that TikTok has established to police and suppress Black Queer voices while allowing white and heterosexual creators to profit off the same type of content—or worse. I have spent years building my brand, embracing my identity, and crafting artistic content that resonates with my audience, only to watch TikTok systematically strip me of my reach, shadowban my posts, and remove my videos with no real justification.
Meanwhile, white creators—cisgender and heterosexual—post nearly identical content, sometimes even more provocative, and their videos thrive. They receive millions of views, they get promoted by TikTok’s algorithm, and they are never forced to fight for their right to exist on the platform. This is blatant discrimination.
The Insulting Hypocrisy of TikTok’s Ad System
But here’s where it gets even more disgusting: after banning my videos, TikTok turns around and asks if I want to pay to promote them. Let that sink in. A video that is supposedly “too inappropriate” to exist on their platform is somehow appropriate enough to be monetized if I give them my money. If my content is so offensive, why are they offering me the option to boost it with ads? The answer is simple: TikTok doesn’t actually care about “community guidelines.” They care about controlling and profiting off Black creativity without allowing us to have real visibility or success.
This Time, It’s “Deep & Raw”
The latest attack on my work comes with the promo video for my upcoming book, Deep & Raw: The Erotica of Martone. This book is a celebration of passion, desire, and Black Queer expression—an unfiltered, poetic journey into love, lust, and identity. But apparently, simply using the words “erotica” and “desire” is enough for TikTok to claim “nudity” and “violence” where none exists.
I appealed their decision, knowing I had never posted anything that contained nudity or explicit violence. But, as expected, the appeal was denied with no real explanation. No accountability. No transparency. Just another example of how TikTok polices Black Queer content creators while exploiting our culture for clicks and engagement.
The Double Standard is Clear
Scroll through TikTok for five minutes, and you’ll find explicit thirst traps, softcore roleplay videos, and sexualized content that doesn’t get flagged—as long as it fits TikTok’s racist and heteronormative agenda. But a Black Queer artist confidently embracing his sexuality and artistic vision? That, apparently, is a violation.
TikTok has no problem cashing in on Black culture. They use our music, our dance trends, our slang, and they profit massively off the work of Black creators. But when it comes to allowing Black Queer artists the same level of freedom as everyone else, they silence us. They erase us. And they punish us for daring to exist in our full authenticity.
This Won’t Stop Me
I refuse to let TikTok—or any other platform—dictate how I express myself. I will keep creating, keep pushing the envelope, and keep demanding space for Black Queer voices. And if that means taking legal action, then so be it.
TikTok’s racist, homophobic policies will not go unchecked forever. There will be accountability. There will be consequences.
I see what’s happening, and I won’t be silent about it.
TikTok, do better.
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